That Couple Life
by Mag68
Summary: A series of missing scenes wishful thinking from seasons five, six and seven depicting Lorelai and Luke's time together as a couple.
1. The Adventures of Lucas Longstocking

**A/N: I had such a good time writing Dream Lover as a fill in for Tippecanoe and Taylor Too, that I thought that I would give this a shot. I plan to do some missing (wishful thinking) scenes from season five and possibly season six, showing their lives as a couple. Some will be smutty, like this one, and some may not. Let me know what you think, good idea or no?**

**The Adventures of Lucas Longstocking**

Luke dropped his hands as they watched Rory leave in a huff. "I feel awful," he muttered as he walked over to the couch and flopped down on it.

Lorelai followed him listlessly and said, "Well, it's, you know, it's my fault. I forced this."

Luke shook his head and said, "It's not your fault. I shouldn't have said yes to a double date."

Lorelai shrugged as she sat next to him and said, "Well, I wanted to do this."

Luke looked at her and said, "But I can't be around that guy. I knew that, and I said yes anyway."

Lorelai frowned as she asked, "Why can't you be around him?"

Getting agitated, Luke jumped up and began pacing the living room. "Because he's not good for her," he hissed.

"Luke," Lorelai started to protest.

Luke shook his head adamantly and said, "He's not. He's not right for her."

Lorelai got up and walked over to him as she said, "You're mad at Dean from years past. What's past is past. They're a couple now. Do you even remember why you're mad at him?" she asked.

Luke snorted and said, "He's a punk. That's what I remember. Just look at his history. He broke her heart before."

Lorelai shook her head and said, "Their problems were mutual. You don't know the whole story."

Luke threw his arms out and said, "He got married and bailed out before the honeymoon was even over."

Lorelai shrugged helplessly and said, "When you're young, you make mistakes."

Luke leaned toward her and said pointedly, "He was pining for Rory, and he got married. That's unstable."

Starting to get frustrated herself, Lorelai rolled her eyes and said, "He's nineteen. Give him a break."

Luke shook his head gesturing wildly as he continued, "He doesn't know what he wants. He's proven that. How can Rory trust him now?" he asked incredulously.

Lorelai looked at him pleadingly and answered, "Matters of the heart are not science. There are no sure things."

Luke clenched his jaw stubbornly and said, "He's not good enough for her."

"Well, who is? Jess?" Lorelai asked indignantly.

Luke wrinkled his nose as he shook his head and said, "No, not Jess. A prince, maybe. One that's in line to be king. Not one of those waiting-for-a-brother-to-die ones, but a real one," he clarified. "If not a prince, someone who's gonna be good for her," he insisted. He took a breath and said, "You know, Rory is like Pippi."

"Pippi?" Lorelai asked blankly.

Luke nodded emphatically and said, "She can have adventures and be free, she's smart. The whole world's waiting for her," he told her.

Lorelai blinked in disbelief and asked, "You're comparing Rory to Pippi Longstocking?"

Luke nodded and looked at her pointedly as he started counting off reasons on his fingers. "Pippi is strong and independent. She can lift a horse above her head," he wide eyed. "Uh-huh. And beat up bullies and build a hot-air balloon. She's unique, like Rory," he explained. "But I guarantee you, if Pippi had met Dean," he said with a meaningful look. "There would be no horse, no balloons. He'd drag her down to his level, spend all her gold coins, and poof, like that, all her dreams would be gone," he said darkly.

Lorelai shifted impatiently as she told him, "It's Rory's choice who she chooses to be with. Not yours, not mine."

Luke shook his head and demanded, "Does it feel right to you? Are you okay with this Rory and Dean thing?"

Lorelai opened her mouth to answer and then sighed. "I just need this to work," she said quietly.

Luke sighed as he saw the desperate expression on her face. "Look at me," he grumbled. "Not stopping till he's upset every person that means anything in the world to him in one night," he said dejectedly. He reached out and pulled her to him for a hug, squeezing her tightly as he rubbed her back. When she sighed against him he asked gruffly, "You want a beer?"

"Yes," Lorelai answered without missing a beat. They walked over and sat tiredly on the couch as Luke reached for the beers, handing one to Lorelai. They twisted off the caps and sat quietly. "Maybe if I brought out the Twister," Lorelai mumbled as she took a drink.

"Maybe," Luke agreed as he lifted his bottle and took a long drink.

After a moment, Lorelai picked up the remote and asked, "You wanna watch TV?"

Luke shook his head and said, "I should go."

"Go? Go why? Why should you go?" Lorelai asked quickly.

Luke shrugged and said, "I kind of ruined the night."

"Night's not ruined. The night's not over," Lorelai told him, shaking her head adamantly. "Stay," she said softly.

"I don't deserve to stay," Luke answered morosely, resting his bottle on his knee.

Lorelai looked at him unimpressed and asked, "So because you were a jerk, we both should be punished."

"No," Luke said slowly. "I just figured that you'd had enough of me for one night."

"Well, I have had enough of the 'tude, as I told you before, but you, no," Lorelai said as she trailed her fingers through his hair, smoothing it over his ear.

Luke looked over at her and said, "I really am sorry."

Lorelai kissed him softly and said, "I know you are." She nudged him and said, "Scootch."

"Huh?" Luke asked, looking down at the couch.

"Move to that end," Lorelai said with a nod. When Luke shifted to the end of the couch, Lorelai stretched out placing her head in his lap and looking up at him. "I want you to stay," she said in a firm, quiet voice.

Luke looked down at her with a small smile and answered, "Well then, I'll stay." He gently brushed her hair back from her face, running his fingers over the soft skin at her temple and smoothing the curls back.

Lorelai looked up at him soberly and said, "Luke, one of the best things about you is how you feel about Rory." When he began to color slightly she continued, "I know you care about her. She knows you care about her, and want her to be happy."

Luke nodded slightly and cleared his throat before saying, "I'll send her some brownies."

Lorelai smiled and said, "That's a step in the right direction." She reached up to toy with a button on his shirt and said softly, "I'm not okay with it, but it's not my choice. I'm just trying to make the best of an uncomfortable situation."

Luke nodded and said gruffly, "He did leave Lindsay for Rory." When Lorelai confirmed his assumption with a nod, he frowned and asked, "Because of Rory?" Lorelai simply blinked and kept her gaze steady on his. Luke sighed and said, "Aw, man," as he rubbed his hand over his face. "This is what the trouble between you this summer was." Lorelai pressed her lips together and then gave him a tiny smile. "Oh Lorelai, I'm so sorry," he said sincerely. "I made everything worse. I'm an idiot," he hissed as he let his head fall back against the couch and stared up at the ceiling.

"You didn't know," Lorelai said softly.

"I should have known, knowing you guys like I do. I should have known that it was something big like this," he said in a gruff voice.

Lorelai wrinkled her nose a little and said, "I didn't want you to know."

"Why?" he asked, lifting his head and staring down at her.

"Because you love her," Lorelai said with a helpless shrug. "I didn't want you to feel differently about her."

"I wouldn't," he assured her. "I do want her to be happy," Luke said sincerely. "I just don't think that Dean can make her happy."

"I don't either, but I think Rory needs to figure that out on her own," she said as she reached up to stroke his cheek.

"I want you to be happy," he said gruffly.

"I am right now," she said with a smile. "Now, let's let this go. You bake up a huge batch of brownies tomorrow and send them off to her. Everything will work out. I promise," she told him. When Luke nodded, she smiled and turned onto her side, facing the television, and said, "Let's see what we can find."

"No more classics of surrealism, please," Luke said dryly.

"I thought you liked Pippi," Lorelai said in an injured tone as she turned on the television.

"It made my head hurt. Too many questions," he said with a chuckle.

Lorelai grinned as she flipped through the channels. She stopped and said, "Here you go. Baseball."

Luke chuckled again and said, "We don't have to watch baseball."

"Isn't this the big thingy, though? The championship round?" she asked.

"The playoffs," he corrected. "Yeah, but I don't need to watch it," he said.

"Hey isn't your team still in it?" she asked. "You like Boston, right?"

Luke smiled down at her and said, "Yes, but this isn't them. This is the St. Louis Cardinals versus the Houston Astros," he explained. "The Sox will play the Yankees tomorrow," he told her.

"Ah, thus making you available for a date tonight," Lorelai said as she started flipping again.

Luke smiled and said, "I'm always available for you. Now, if the Sox make it to the Series, we may have to do some rearranging," he said with a grin.

"Noted," Lorelai said as she found a movie. "Hey, The Untouchables?" she asked.

Luke frowned and asked, "Isn't this the Al Capone thing?"

Lorelai nodded and said, "Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, and Robert De Niro."

"This is okay," Luke said with a nod. He took a drink of his beer and then placed the bottle on the end table next to him. He looked down at her glossy dark hair and began to comb his fingers through it, fanning it out over his denim clad lap.

A few minutes later, Lorelai purred softly and asked, "Are you trying to seduce me, Mr. Danes?"

"Is it working?" he asked with a smile.

Lorelai flipped onto her stomach, her hair curtaining her face as she nipped at the soft denim covering his muscular thighs. She grinned as she looked down at his obvious arousal and said, "Seems to be working for you."

Luke shifted a little and said, "Yeah, well, uh, nice visual."

Lorelai smiled and said, "You like to see my head in your lap?" as she pressed her mouth to his thigh and blew her hot breath through the worn denim.

"Your hair," he answered softly, trying to keep form rearing up off of the couch.

Lorelai smiled as she shifted further north and nuzzled the straining material covering him. "You like my hair?" she asked softly.

Luke groaned quietly as she rubbed her nose against the bulge in his jeans and whispered, "All spread out."

"Ah," she answered as she reached for the button on his jeans. "So, you don't really want to watch the movie?" she asked teasingly.

"Seen it," Luke said gruffly as she unbuttoned his jeans and reached for the tab of his zipper. "Lorelai," he groaned as she pulled it slowly down.

"Yes?" she asked innocently.

"Kiss me?" he asked in a raspy voice.

"Oh, I will," she said as she parted the denim and ran her fingers over the soft cotton of his boxers.

Luke chuckled and said, "I meant my lips."

Lorelai shook her head and said, "If I do that, then you'll try to distract me with other things."

"Is that bad?" he asked, his breath hitching as she reached into the opening of his boxers, and wrapped her fingers around his hard cock.

Lorelai smiled as she heard him panting softly and said, "This is your punishment. Take it like a man," as she released him and pulled his jeans and shorts down, tugging on his hips to get his to raise up off of the couch.

Luke complied and said, "Okay, but I don't think that this is a real effective form of punishment." He brushed her hair back and held it there so that he could see her face. "You might just be encouraging my bad behavior," he warned as she teased the head of his cock with the tip of her tongue. "Oh God," he groaned as she wrapped her lips around him.

Lorelai drew him into her mouth, swirling her velvety tongue around him as she hummed softly, sending vibrations shooting through him. When he groaned aloud she smiled to herself and drew him deeper, working him steadily with her lips and tongue. She wrapped her hand around his rigid shaft and began to stroke him firmly, matching the tempo set by her busy mouth. Luke fisted his hand in her hair as he arched up into her gently, begging for more. He released her hair and used his fingers to spread it again, fanning it over his legs and stomach as he gasped for breath. "Oh so good, oh you feel so good," he whispered.

"Mmm hmm," she agreed, sending him higher as she sucked deeper and stroked faster.

"Oh geez," he panted. "Oh, Lorelai."

Lorelai found her lips curving at the 'geez' and her pace quickening at the sound of her name as she moaned softly around him.

"Oh," he breathed as he felt his climax approaching. "Lorelai. Oh God, Lorelai," he warned. She moaned her anticipation and took him deeper still. Luke shifted, lifting his hips from the cushion as he offered himself to her. Lorelai took him in and hummed with a satisfaction as she felt his orgasm begin to ripple through his shaft. He came hard and fast, panting her name as she took him in, swallowing greedily and moaning with pleasure as he fought to fill his lungs with air.

Lorelai slowed, bringing him down with gentle caresses of her lips and tongue. When she felt him relax under her she lifted her head, placing a tender kiss to the tip of his cock as she whispered, "Let that be a lesson to you, Mister."

A gusty laugh escaped Luke's lips as he let his head fall back helplessly. He ran his hand over the back of her head and said, "I guess you showed me, huh?"

Lorelai pressed soft kisses to his still twitching cock and said, "Yes, now you're my slave for the night."

Luke smiled and said, "I thought I was your slave every day."

"Especially tonight," she said as she flipped her hair back and rocked back on her hands and knees to look at him. "Don't make me have to punish you again," she said sternly.

Luke chuckled and pulled her to him, wrapping his arm around her tightly as he dragged her across him, and held her close. He breathed in the fruity scent of her shampoo and whispered, "I'll be good."

Lorelai kissed the side of his neck and whispered, "Unless I want you to be bad."

"Of course," he conceded as he kissed her hair softly.

They were jolted from their repose by the ringing of the phone. "Ignore it," Lorelai mumbled against his skin. When the machine kicked on, she heard Rory call, 'Mom, are you there? Pick up if you're there,' and then a pause as she waited. Luke immediately released her as Lorelai scrambled for the portable phone. She grabbed it and said, "Hello? Rory? Are you still there?" she asked breathlessly. She watched Luke hurriedly pull his boxers and jeans up to cover himself and saw a deep red blush creep up his cheeks.

"Hey," Rory said gently.

"Are you okay? Where are you at?" Lorelai asked frantically.

"I'm fine. I just got back to my room," Rory reported. "You're all out of breath," she said with a frown.

"Uh, we were, uh rearranging the furniture in the living room," she said quickly. She held the phone away from her and said, "No, put it back where it was before. I don't like it there." She lifted the phone again and said, "Stupid feng shui, I just can't get it right."

"Oh, so Luke's still there?" Rory asked.

"Um, yeah," Lorelai said as she shot him a worried glance. He hand pulled his pants up, but they were still open as he rubbed his hand tiredly over his eyes.

"Can I talk to him?" Rory asked.

"Hon, he's really sorry," Lorelai said nodding softly when Luke's eyes flashed to hers.

"I know. I'm not going to yell at him again, I promise," Rory said quickly.

"This is my fault. It wasn't a good idea. Luke didn't even know that you and Dean were together until yesterday. I shanghaied him," she confessed.

"Oh," Rory said softly. She took a breath and asked again, "Can I talk to him?"

Lorelai sighed and covered the mouthpiece as she held the hone out and said, "She wants to talk to you."

"Look at me," he hissed softly, gesturing to his disheveled clothing.

Lorelai rolled her eyes as she walked over to him and said, "She can't see you."

Luke glanced behind him and hurriedly pulled a throw off of the back of the couch, tossing it over his lap for another layer of protection before he took the phone. "Hey, Rory," he said nervously.

"Hey, Luke," Rory said gently. "I'm sorry I yelled at you," she said quickly. "I know tonight was weird for you, and now I know that you didn't know about me and Dean. I just wanted to make sure you knew that I'm not really mad or anything. It was probably just too soon to do something like that," she said softly.

Luke nodded and said, "I was gonna send you brownies."

Rory grinned into the phone and said, "Oh, well, in that case, forget that I called."

Luke chuckled and said, "I'll send 'em anyway. I'm sorry I was such a jerk," he apologized. "I hate that I upset you," he told her sincerely.

"We're good, Luke," Rory assured him. "No more double dates I think, but we're good," she added.

Luke smiled and said, "I can live with that."

"Okay, well," Rory said awkwardly.

Luke nodded and said, "Here's your Mom. Thanks for calling," he said before handing the phone back to Lorelai with a relieved sigh.

Lorelai smiled and said, "Aw, you two made up."

Rory snorted and said, "Yeah, but we're not kissing."

"I'll handle that for you," Lorelai said as she stood up again. "So, you're home for the evening?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm tired," Rory said with a yawn.

"Okay, well, I'll catch up with you tomorrow or the next day," Lorelai said with a nod.

"More than likely," Rory said with a smile.

"Thanks for calling. I'm glad you're back safe," Lorelai told her. "I love you, kid," she added quietly.

"Love you too, Mom. Tell Luke I said goodnight," she said with a smile.

"I will. Bye, Sweets," Lorelai said.

"Bye, Mom," Rory answered before she hung up.

Lorelai placed the phone back on the cradle and walked slowly to the couch. She reached down and picked up the remote from where it had fallen to the floor, and turned the TV off. She held out her hand and said, "Come on, Cool Hand. You can leave your invisibility cloak here," she told him as she gestured to the throw.

"We goin' to bed?" he asked as she pulled him up from the couch.

"Yep, you have work to do," she said as she curled her arms around her back, resting their linked hands on her bottom as she led him up the stairs.

"This slave thing…" he started to say as he followed her, enjoying the feel of his knuckles brushing against her.

"Will be mutually satisfying," she finished as she led him into her room and closed the door behind them.


	2. What Happy Sounds Like

**A/N: Just watching these episodes over again suddenly made them all seem dirty! Then again, maybe it's just me….**

**What Happy Sounds Like**

"So, how are you? Do you wanna laugh?" Lorelai asked her daughter as soon as Rory answered the phone.

"Oh, laughing would be good," Rory said tiredly.

"Luke did the funniest bit before, I thought you would be so," she started to say.

Luke cut her off saying, "Would you stop? I did not do a bit."

"What are you talking about?" Lorelai asked incredulously. "The bit! It was a riot," she said with a giggle.

"It wasn't a bit!" Luke insisted. "I banged my head on the stove and it hurt like hell," he grumbled.

"No, no, you said it funnier before. Do it again!" Lorelai urged him with a grin.

Luke rolled his eyes and said impatiently, "I told you, I never did it in the first place. You did it, it's your bit."

Lorelai shook her head and asked, "How could it be my bit when it's your head in the oven?"

Luke nodded and said, "Exactly. My head, my conk, no bit."

Rory interrupted by asking, "Mom, just wondering, did you call for any particular reason?"

Lorelai shrugged and turned back to the phone. "Just checking in, seeing how you're doing. How are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Rory answered unconvincingly.

Lorelai was instantly sympathetic. "Aw, what's wrong?" she asked.

"What makes you think something's wrong?" Rory asked defensively.

Lorelai nodded and pointed out, "You've got Bambi voice."

Rory sighed and said, "I do not have Bambi voice."

"Spill, please," Lorelai commanded. As Rory launched into her latest freak out about being behind, and not having a summer internship, Lorelai turned her attention back to Luke, whose head was back in the oven, and his lovely tush was on display. Lorelai tilted her head, appreciating the view as she listened to her daughter and offered words of encouragement. When Rory concluded that she needed to really start working harder, perhaps working at a local newspaper part-time, Lorelai was supportive, even offering a couple of lame jokes to lift her baby's spirits. 

Suddenly, Luke bashed his head on the oven again and yelled, "Ow! Geez! What the, Doh!"

Lorelai laughed, the sound of her delight tinkling over the phone line as she cried, "He did it! He did the bit!" She held the phone out and said, "Luke, do it again. Do it louder for Rory," she cajoled him.

"Hey, Mom?" Rory called through the phone.

"Yeah?" Lorelai answered, unable to wipe the smile from her face.

Rory smiled softly and said, "You sound happy."

"I am, kid," Lorelai answered simply as she smiled at Luke.

"What?" he asked snapped, gesturing impatiently.

"I'll let you get back to your meltdown. Call me if you need me," Lorelai told Rory.

"I will. Tell Luke 'Hi' for me," she said as they hung up.

"Rory says 'Hi,'" she told him as he rubbed the bump on his head through his hat.

"She okay?" he asked distractedly as he sat back on his heels.

"She's fine. Just having a little crisis of confidence. She'll bounce back shortly," she assured him as she watched him carefully.

"What?" he asked suspiciously. Lorelai slid from the chair and knelt down on the floor next to him. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Where did you conk?" she asked in return.

"Here," he said with a pout as he rubbed the spot on top of his head.

Lorelai smiled and lifted the blue hat from his hair, smoothing it gently with her fingers as she pulled his head over to her and kissed the spot. "Better?" she asked softly as she replaced his cap.

"A little," he grumbled.

Lorelai took his chin in her hand and turned his face to hers. "Luke," she whispered softly as she leaned in and kissed him tenderly. As she pulled back she smoothed her palm over his rough cheek and said again, "Luke." She smiled at him brightly, stroking his lips with her thumb.

He pressed his lips to the pad of her thumb and asked softly, "What?"

She tilted her head and then shook it slowly. "Nothing. Just Luke," she said as she leaned in to kiss him again. This time the kiss was a little deeper and a little slower as her hands framed his face. She pulled back, her lips hovering near his as she whispered, "That's what happy sounds like. Luke," she said again as she pulled him back to her, kissing him passionately. She threw her leg over his pushing him back until he fell on his butt and straddled him as she kissed him heatedly, knocking his cap to the floor.

Stunned by her sudden assault on his senses, Luke was slow to respond at first, but soon his arms wrapped around her tightly as he swung his legs out from under him with a small grunt. He pressed her firmly to him, giving back as good as he got. Finally, he plunged his hands into her hair, lacing his fingers through the curls as he gripped her head tightly and tore his mouth away, gasping for air. "Lorelai," he panted.

"I'm so happy," she whispered as she bent to attack his neck, her fingers fumbling with the buttons on his shirt.

Luke laughed, his breath rushing from his lungs as he said, "I'm glad, but we're on the kitchen floor."

"So?" she asked as separated his shirt and ran her hands greedily over his muscular chest.

Luke chuckled as he slipped his hand down her back and cupped her ass, pressing her close to him and grinding her against his arousal as she sucked on his scruffy neck. "I know you. God only knows the last time this floor was cleaned."

Lorelai shook her head as she raised the hem of his t-shirt and said, "No, Rory only knows."

"Let's go upstairs," Luke said in a husky voice, ducking his head and trying to get to her throat.

"No," she said as she pushed him back a little and tugged on the shirt, trying to get him to raise his arms so that she could get it off of him. When he resisted, she sat back and began unbuttoning her blouse giving him a tantalizing view of the white lace bra beneath. "I'm happy here. I'm happy with you," she said firmly. She parted her blouse, letting it slide slowly from her shoulders as she let her head fall back sensuously. "So happy," she breathed. She raised her head and looked at him with blue eyes dark with desire. "Don't you want me to be happy?" she asked softly.

"More than anything," he answered simply, unable to tear his gaze from hers.

"Then love me now, Luke," she whispered as she ran her fingers down over her creamy skin, letting them trail between her lace clad breasts. "Here and now," she told him as she reached for his t-shirt again and tugged it over his head.

Luke's hands were everywhere, fisted in her hair one moment, squeezing her against him the next, cupping her breasts reverently, his thumbs sliding over the lace, bracing her back and supporting her as he pressed her back so that he could get to her. He pressed his lips to the hollow of her throat, his breath coming in soft puffs as his heart hammered in his chest. He leaned into her ducking his head and capturing one lace clad nipple in his mouth and sucking deeply. "Lorelai," he groaned against her. His hands slid down cupping her ass and parting her legs as he pressed his fingers to her, feeling her heat through the soft material of her pants.

"Now," she whispered, reaching for his belt buckle and fumbling in her haste to unclasp it.

"Let me," he panted as he unhooked her pants and pulled the zipper down quickly. He pushed them over her hips, skimming her panties off with them as she kicked her shoes to the side. She wiggled the rest of the way out of her pants and reached for his belt again. "Nuh uh," he told her as he gripped her hips and lifted her up.

"What?" she asked as he began to lay back on the floor.

Luke gave her a slow smile, letting it spread across his face as his eyes lit and he whispered, "Come here."

Lorelai's eyes widened as she smiled back at him and whispered, "Bad boy."

"I'll have all sorts of dirty things to say about this later," he promised as he pulled her up to him.

"Oh God, don't forget what they were," she warned him as he moved to straddle his head.

"I won't," Luke promised as she opened above him. "I can't believe we're doing this here," he grumbled as he lifted his head to touch his lips to her.

Clad only in her lacy bra, Lorelai smiled down at him and said, "In broad daylight."

"I know," he growled as he pressed her down to him. He swirled his tongue around her clit and then looked up at her boldly as he whispered, "Oh, I know," against her sensitive skin.

"Luke," she gasped softly as he began to lick her gently, teasing her with his tongue.

"Mmm, delicious," he hummed against her, running his hands over her smooth bottom.

"Oh Luke," she moaned as she let her knees slide further apart, lowering herself to him and planting her hands on the floor above his head.

"I love this," he said as he nipped at her with his lips. "I could live on nothing but you," he murmured as he drew her clit into his mouth and sucked it gently.

"Oh God, Luke," she panted as she rode him. He looked up at her and then reached up to unhook the front clasp of her bra, brushing the lacy cups aside in his quest to see all of her. He pressed his tongue to her entrance and licked at it teasingly. "Yes, oh yes," she panted. He thrust his tongue into her, making her cry out and then whimper softly as he stroked her. "Luke," she whispered raggedly. He grasped her hips, pulling her down onto his mouth firmly as he pressed into her faster. "Luke, Luke, oh Luke! Stop, stop," she said as she tried to pull away from him.

"No," he said softly. "I don't want to stop," he said hoarsely. "I want you."

"I want you inside of me," she whispered as she fought against his grasp to pull away from him.

"I want to lick you. I want to taste you when you come," he said holding her firmly, kissing her thighs. He looked up at her, his face raw with desire. "Then I want to be inside of you," he said in a deep voice.

"Oh God," she moaned, knowing that she would give in.

"Let me," he said in a soft commanding tone.

"Luke," she sighed in submission as she sank back down onto him.

"Oh yes," he whispered as he pressed his mouth to her wet folds again He stroked her with long slow flicks of his tongue, teasing her heated flesh. Suddenly, he gripped her ass roughly and pressed her down to him, thrusting his tongue into her and stroking her hard and fast.

Lorelai rode the waves of pleasure he sent hurtling through her, moaning loudly as she mindlessly cupped her breasts, lost in a haze of need. Luke watched her, feeling his own arousal grow as he saw her touching herself and groaned against her. "Ah, oh!" she panted as she felt the tightening in her core. "Oh, no, yes Luke," she whispered, He felt her urgency growing and drove her harder. "Luke, Luke, Luke," she chanted as she was lost. She felt the need uncoiling in her stomach and cried out with her release. "Luke!"

As she slowed, he continued to stroke her with his tongue as he reached down to unbuckle his belt and open his jeans. "Oh God, I love to watch you," he panted as he struggled to push his jeans and boxers down off of his hips. "So beautiful," he murmured as he turned his head to nip at her thigh. "I have to be in you now," he said in a raspy voice as he pushed her up.

"Okay, okay," Lorelai panted as she moved back over him, trying to get her bearings.

Luke shook his head and sat up, rolling her over onto her back as she looked up at him in a daze. He quickly pushed his jeans down further and then slid his arms under her back to cushion her. "I'll do better later," he promised as he buried himself in her hot, wet folds. "Oh God," he groaned as she opened for him. "Oh god, I want you all of the time," he panted in her ear as he began to thrust into her. "I have to have you," he said raggedly.

"You have me," she answered softly.

"All of you," he whispered as he plunged into her. "You make me, oh," he gasped. "Look what you can make me do," he murmured. "Lorelai, you are siren," he panted as he gritted his teeth trying desperately to hold back his need.

"Luke," she said in a voice filled with wonder.

"Oh God, don't say my name," he whispered in a shaky voice. "I can't," he panted as he thrust into her.

Lorelai eyes closed as she soaked up the pleasure his words had given her. He was so lost, so out of control, so completely hers that she felt a rush through her body she had never felt before. She arched up into him and whispered, "Luke," as she opened her eyes slowly.

Luke released a rush of breath, unable to stop his smile as he said, "You want to kill me, don't you."

"I want to love you," she answered simply.

"A siren. You'll be the end of me," he said softly. "You're the one for me."

"Oh, Luke," she said as she wrapped her arms around him tightly. She whispered in his ear, "Let go, Luke. I want to feel inside of me."

"Oh!" Luke gasped as he felt his control snap like a twig.

"Oh yes," she murmured as she felt her own pleasure heating again. "Oh Luke, I'm gonna come again," she whispered.

"Yes," he hissed between his teeth as he pressed into her harder, grinding against her with each stroke. He looked down at her, her hair spread on the suspect floor, and framed her face with his hands. He kissed her deeply, thrusting his tongue into her mouth as he thrust his cock into her. He caught her moan with his mouth and gave her one in return. Lorelai turned her head, tear her lips from is as she gasped, "Luke!"

"Oh," he whispered softly as he began to empty into her in hard, hot spurts. "Oh, Lorelai," he said, his voice breaking on her name.

"Luke, Luke," she cried. As he slowed, bringing her down gently, she kept murmuring his name. Finally, he kissed her softly, silencing her for a moment. When she opened her eyes she said, "That's what happy sounds like. Luke."

He shook his head slowly and said, "Lorelai."

"Luke," she whispered.

"Lorelai," he replied.

"I made it up, and I say Luke," she insisted with a laugh.

"Well, you're wrong," he answered with a shrug.

Lorelai burst out laughing and said, "You mean to tell me that we're lying here naked, on the kitchen floor at," she paused to look up at the clock and said, "at four in the afternoon, and you're gonna argue with me?"

Luke shrugged again and said, "You've already had your way with me. I was just trying to fix your oven," he said innocently.

"I had my way with you?" she asked with a snort.

"Well sure," he said with a nod.

She shook her head and said, "I had my way with you, but I'm the one screaming and panting twice."

"It's what you really wanted," he said with a smug smile.

"Oh, was it?" she asked with a laugh.

Luke nodded and asked, "You happy?"

"So happy," she said with a smile.

"Then I'd say we're equally satisfied," he said with a nod.

Lorelai looked up at him solemnly and said, "You do make me very happy."

Luke smiled lovingly and kissed her gently. "You make me very happy, too," he answered. "Happier than I ever thought was possible," he confessed.

Lorelai grinned and said, "I thought I made you hornier than you ever thought was possible."

Luke smiled broadly and said, "That too."

Lorelai pushed at his shoulders and said, "Let's get up."

Luke pushed back from her and smiled sheepishly as he reached down to pull his shorts and jeans up. "Once again, I only made it so far," he said with a chuckle.

"And once again, I'm completely naked," she answered as she reached for his flannel and pulled it on.

"Uh, I was wearing that," he said with a pointed look.

Lorelai tossed him a careless shrug and said, "You're not going anywhere but my bed tonight."

"I need to go back to work," he pointed out.

"I'll write you a note," she said flippantly.

"Lorelai," he growled in warning.

"Fine, but we have to get you cleaned up first. I can't send you back there all sexed up," she teased. She pulled her panties on and then sat cross legged on the floor. "You are coming back, though, aren't you?" she asked.

"Oh yeah," he said with a quick nod. "Gotta fix the oven so you can dry your socks," he said with a smirk.

"Thanks for changing the porch light and fixing the back door lock," she said with a grin.

"Self preservation," he answered as he unlaced his boots and kicked them off.

She studied him for a moment and then said, "You got all poetic there for a minute."

"What?" he asked as he stood and offered his hand to help her up.

"Siren?" she asked as she stood up and leaned into him for a second.

Luke shrugged and said, "That's what Lorelai was. Spelled differently I think," he said as he led her up the stairs.

"Yes, I know. I just didn't know you knew," she said with a laugh.

Luke turned to her and said, "You forget, I lived with Encyclopedia Brown for two years. That was one of his favorites to taunt me with."

Lorelai cocked her head and asked, "Taunt you?"

"You know, luring unsuspecting men to their deaths. They were so mesmerized by her song that they didn't know what was happening until it was too late," he said as they walked into the bathroom.

Lorelai blinked and asked, "So, you think I'll kill you?"

Luke smiled at her and said, "Probably, but let's hope that it's not for a very long time."

"I don't like that," she said with a petulant frown.

Luke smiled down at her tenderly and said, "I can think of worse ways to go."

"Luke," she said impatiently.

Luke kissed her and then said, "No, I don't really think that. I am mesmerized though," he said as he began to unbutton his flannel, uncovering her again.

Lorelai looked up at him and said, "And I am happy."

He kissed her sweetly and then said, "That makes us a good pair."

She turned on the water in the shower and let it run as it came to temperature. She smiled at him and said, "Tell me your dirty kitchen thoughts."

Luke pulled the curtain aside and gestured for her to step into the tub. As he followed her in he said, "Best thing I've ever tasted in that kitchen."

Lorelai giggled and said, "Gives whole new meaning to the term eat-in kitchen."

Luke groaned and said, "That's bad." He looked down at her with an amused smile and asked, "Gonna mop that floor while I'm at work?"

Lorelai snorted and said, "Are you kidding?" She reached for her body wash and said, "I'm never letting anyone wash that floor again."

Luke chuckled and asked, "Why am I not surprised?"


	3. Jumped On and Jumping In

**Jumped On and Jumping In**

Lorelai picked up the phone and said, "Good afternoon, Dragonfly Inn."

"I franchised my place," Luke told her byway of greeting.

"What?" Lorelai asked, confused.

"The diner," Luke explained as he steeped away from the tee at the driving range. "There's going to be seven of them, and that's just on the eastern seaboard. Then, I'm going national," he said as he gestured broadly.

Lorelai frowned as she shook her head and asked, "What are you talking about?"

"Your father wants to open up a chain of Luke's Diners, and I think I agreed to it," Luke explained slowly.

"No!" Lorelai gasped.

Luke began filling her in saying, "I've already got a marketing guy, Herb's my banker, your father is taking care of all my insurance needs, and apparently, everyone is going to be able to buy stock!" he said incredulously.

"Ugh!" Lorelai grunted. "My parents, my stupid parents!" she said in frustration.

"And he wants to shave me," Luke told her.

"Shave what?" Lorelai asked.

"I don't know, he just kept talking about shaving me, and I'm tipsy," Luke confessed as he swayed a little. "We hit the club bar, and I didn't want to sound dumb and just order a beer because it's nitwit juice, so I had what your dad was having which was whiskey something. More whiskey than something let me tell you, 'cause I can't even see straight," he said blinking his eyes to clear them.

"Aw, you poor thing," Lorelai said sympathetically.

"And I've got an art dealer now," Luke told her in a matter of fact tone.

"No!" Lorelai exclaimed again.

Luke nodded and said, "I'm driving to Manhattan next week to look at some Diebenkorns. What's a Diebenkorn?" he asked as he flung his arm out in confusion.

"I don't know," Lorelai said with a shrug.

"Oh, and I bought some golf clubs, they cost the same as a car," Luke said as he continued his litany.

"Where are you now?" Lorelai asked, concerned.

"I'm at the driving range, your dad's making me practice for next time," Luke told her with a smirk.

"No! Leave! You do not need to practice," Lorelai insisted.

Luke held up a finger and said, "Oh, and I sort of implied that I'm fond of the Greeks, so I have to read the Iliad and the Odyssey so we can chat about it, and can we not hang out with your parents for a very long time?" he asked desperately.

"For a very long time," Lorelai confirmed.

"I mean, I don't hate them," Luke said quickly.

"Leave the driving range at once," Lorelai told him emphatically.

Luke frowned and confessed, "I don't think I can drive."

Feeling awful for him, Lorelai said, "Honey, have some coffee and then come home."

Luke looked of toward the clubhouse and said, "The Diebenkorn guy is still in there."

Lorelai shook her head and said, "You stay away from the Diebenkorn guy."

Luke stared into the clubhouse and said, "He's chatting with my rare coin guy."

"Just do not go back in the clubhouse. Go straight to your car," Lorelai ordered.

"Okay. I like the valet guys," Luke said sincerely.

"Good, now go," she insisted.

"I'm going," he grumbled as they hung up.

Lorelai ended the call, dropping her arm listlessly as she glanced around the deserted lobby. Suddenly, she gasped and dialed Luke's number quickly. When he answered, she said quickly, "Do not drive. I'm coming to get you."

"I'll be fine," he scoffed.

"I mean it, Luke. Go sit in your truck, but so help me, if you turn that key," she threatened.

"Lorelai," he protested.

"I'll be there as soon as I can," she said as she hung up and went in search of Michel.

Forty minutes later, she pulled into the country club lot, and spotted Luke's truck sticking out like a sore thumb. She pulled up in the empty space next to him and saw him resting his head against the back of the seat with his eyes closed. She got out of the Jeep and walked around to tap on his window softly. Luke jumped at the sound, and Lorelai quickly opened his door saying, "I've come to rescue you."

"You didn't need to do this. I just needed a little time," he said as he climbed from the truck.

"It's my fault you're in this spot," Lorelai said as she opened the passenger door of the Jeep for him.

Luke looked around and asked, "What about my truck?"

"We'll come back and get it later," she said as she shooed him into the Jeep.

Luke sighed and crawled into the passenger seat. When Lorelai settled behind the wheel he smirked and said, "I guess we don't need to worry about anyone stealing the filthy, rustic truck here, huh?"

"Oh, Luke," Lorelai said softly, reaching across to kiss him softly.

Luke pressed his head back against the headrest looking at her sadly. "Your parents don't like me," he said in a soft voice.

"Oh, Hon, they don't like me either," she said as she turned to him.

"They think I'm not good enough for you," he said with a wince. He glanced down at his hands and said, "They're right."

"No, they're not," Lorelai said adamantly. "You're too good for me," she insisted.

Luke looked around at the clubhouse and grounds and said, "I'd never fit in here."

"I never did either," Lorelai told him.

"Can we get out of here?" he asked, wrinkling his nose at her.

"Yeah, let's get out of here," Lorelai said with a nod as she started the Jeep. As they left Hartford, Luke stared straight ahead as he said, "You do, though. You don't think you fit, but you do."

"No, I don't," Lorelai said firmly.

"You may not want to, Lorelai, but you do fit," he said turning to look at her. "It may not be the way you choose to live, and I, for one, am very happy about that, but you do," he finished quietly. He looked down at his hands as he wrung his fingers lightly. "I never really understood until today," he whispered, lost in thought.

"Understood what?" Lorelai asked warily.

"All these years of seeing you come in all dressed up after dinner or some party thing. All these years of listening to you tell me how it was with your parents," he said as he gazed out of the Jeep's plastic window, watching the slightly blurred images roll by. He chuckled a little before he glanced over at her and admitted, "I always thought that you were exaggerating." When Lorelai snorted a laugh, he shrugged and said, "You do tend to be a little dramatic."

"I guess, but not in this case," she said shaking her head.

"I just don't understand them," Luke murmured.

"That makes two of us," Lorelai said patting his knee.

Luke turned in his seat to face her and asked, "How can they not know? I mean, look at you. Look at all you've done. All on your own!" he said getting agitated. "How can they not be proud of that, of you?" he asked incredulously.

"I guess the pride goes flying out of the window when your fifteen year old daughter tells you she's pregnant," Lorelai said wryly.

"Nineteen years ago!" Luke said angrily. "I mean, I can hold a grudge, Lorelai, but that's ridiculous!" He rubbed his hand over his face tiredly and said in softer tone, "Makes me glad to have the parents I had, even if I didn't have them for very long."

Lorelai nodded and said, "You were lucky. That's why I made sure Rory was raised in a different way," she explained. "They aren't evil, you know," she said a moment later. "This is the world they were raised in. It's all they know, all they've ever wanted to know," she explained. "They never wanted to step out of it. They thrive on it. They feed off of it, but it was smothering me," she said softly.

Luke smiled at her wanly and said, "That's what freaked me out the most. I can see you there. Not necessarily acting that way, but you know, there. Running around in one of those little white tennis dresses, sitting there having lunch with your friends on the patio," he said waving his hand.

"I hate the club," Lorelai answered with a snort.

Luke looked over at her again and said, "They're never going to approve of me."

"So what? Do you need their approval?" she asked impatiently.

"Need? No," he said shaking his head and pursing his lips. "Want? Yeah. More for your sake," he told her. "They'll make this hard on you," he warned her. "People like that don't just let things happen," he said as he rubbed his hands together slowly.

"No, they don't, but I've fought them before," she murmured. She turned to look at him and said, "I'll fight them again."

"I don't want you to have to fight," he said as he laced his fingers through hers.

Lorelai smiled as she glanced back at him and said, "Oh, we love fighting. It's what we do," she said with a smirk. When he sighed heavily she said, "Luke, the only real reason my parents are in my life is Rory. I mean aside from paying for school. Even before she went to Chilton, we only saw them on holidays so that Rory would know that she did have a family, such as it was," she said dryly. She drummed her fingers against the steering wheel and said, "I was so much happier then."

"Really? Can you really be happy knowing that you don't have a relationship with your own parents?" he asked incredulously.

"I don't know, maybe not happy. How about peaceful?" she asked. "My life was so much more peaceful," she said softly. "I had Rory, and work, and the town, and my friends," she said squeezing his hand. "It was good," she told him. "My parents, they just confuse things," she said shaking her head slowly.

"I hate that they treat you like that," Luke said vehemently. "I can't stand the thought of Rory being subjected to that," he said softly.

Lorelai laughed and said, "Oh, they worship Rory. She's the golden child. The great white hope, on which, they have pinned all of their dreams of glory. They would never treat Rory the way they treat me," she said shaking her head hard.

"But she sees it, right? I mean, she sees how they treat you, how they treat other people," Luke persisted.

"Yeah," Lorelai said in a soft sad tone.

Luke stared out of the windshield and muttered, "Wait until they find out that she's dating the bag boy again. I mean, they can't possibly know that, right?" he asked as he turned to look at her.

"No, I don't think they know," Lorelai agreed. "But still, they won't treat Rory badly. Just like my mother didn't treat you badly at dinner," she said with a smirk.

"Oh God," Luke said covering his eyes with his hand.

"Yes, their disapproval is always shown in subtle ways. They won't come after us with a sledgehammer until they think that they're cornered," she said with a wince.

"Like wild animals," Luke mumbled.

"Feral cats," Lorelai said with a small smile.

Luke leaned his head back and looked over at her as she drove. He blinked slowly, his long dark lashes framing his deep blue eyes. Lorelai looked over at him and asked, "What are you thinking about pretty boy?"

Luke snorted and said, "I'm not pretty."

"Yes, you are," she corrected. "Say it," she prodded.

"What?" he asked.

"Say what's on your mind," she encouraged.

"Maybe we," he started. "Maybe this, you and me, isn't such a great idea," he said softly.

Lorelai's head whipped around to stare at him in shock. She guided the Jeep to the side of the highway and coasted to a stop. She killed the engine and turned in her seat before asking, "Are you breaking up with me?"

"No!" Luke said quickly. "I mean, I just," he stammered as he sat up in his seat. "I don't want to cause you problems," he said helplessly.

"Luke, as far as my parents are concerned, my mere existence causes problems," Lorelai said impatiently. "Do you not want to be with me now that you've seen that? Is that it?" she demanded. "Is this some kind of perverse reverse snobbery on your part, because, that's my parents, not me!" she shouted.

"No, no," Luke said shaking his head. "I'm just trying to say that I don't want to be the problem," he told her firmly.

"You are not the problem. They are!" she said angrily. "How long have we known each other? Eight years? Eight years, Luke! Have you ever seen anything like that in me?" she demanded.

"No," he answered quickly.

"Have I ever indicated to you that I wanted to live my life in some way other than the way I currently am? Have I ever told you that I wanted more than this?" she demanded.

"No," he answered looking her in the eye.

"No," she said with a nod. "The only thing I have ever told you that I lacked was someone in my life, someone to be my partner. Someone who believes in me and supports me and wants to be with me," she said, her frustration bubbling up.

"I know," he said softly. "I do," he told her sincerely. "I do want to be that guy."

"Then this discussion is over," she said as she turned the key and put the Jeep in gear angrily. After she pulled back onto the road she said, "I hate that they made you feel this way. I hate that we're actually having this conversation."

"I do too. I'm sorry," he said in a gravelly voice. "I'm sorry that I let it get to me," he told her.

Lorelai nodded as she clutched the steering wheel tightly. "You don't have much experience with this," she conceded.

"I guess not," he said with a sigh. "It's not going to be easy," he warned her softly.

"Since when has anything involving the two of us been easy?" Lorelai answered with a snort.

"Since never," Luke answered with a smile. He watched as she turned off to enter Stars Hollow and headed for her house. "Where are we going?" he asked.

"Home," she mumbled.

"Oh, okay," Luke said, not wanting to point out that he didn't live at her house. "Don't you have to get back to the inn?" he asked.

"Nope," she answered shortly as she turned down her street.

When they pulled into the driveway and Lorelai killed the engine again, Luke put his hand on hers to stop her from getting out of the car. Lorelai turned to look at him questioningly and he smiled as he said, "I really, really want to be that guy."

Lorelai nodded and leaned over to kiss him softly. "You are," she answered as she ran her hand over his cheek. She blinked and asked, "He wanted to shave you?"

"I guess so," Luke said with a shrug.

Lorelai looked at him appraisingly and asked, "Can I shave you?"

"Oh, hell no," he said as he opened the door and rolled himself clumsily out of the Jeep. When he met her on the other side he gestured to her door and said, "I was gonna get that."

"Don't you trust me?" Lorelai asked.

"With many things, but with a razor blade? No," he said as he took her hand and they walked to the house.

"Mean," she pouted.

"Sane," he answered.

"You still drunk?" she asked as she opened the door.

"Tipsy," he corrected, "and no, not so much."

"Too bad," Lorelai said as they walked into the house.

Luke tipped his head back and asked, "Why is that?"

Lorelai smiled and said, "I wanted to take advantage of you."

"Ah, now the whole rescue thing becomes clear," he said as he snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her to him.

"I was hoping you'd show me how grateful you are," she teased as she pecked his lips.

Luke nodded and leaned in, kissing her tenderly and deeply. When he pulled back, he opened his eyes slowly and looked her straight in the eye as he said, "I'm very grateful."

Lorelai reached up to run her fingertips over his eyebrow and whispered, "You're very pretty."

Luke kissed her again and said, "You're very crazy."

Lorelai smiled impishly and said, "About you."

Luke leaned in, rubbing his nose against hers softly before brushing his lips across hers. He smiled that slow sexy smile and whispered, "Same here."


	4. Party of Two

**Party of Two**

Lorelai was busy wondering as she sat on the couch staring blankly at the television and picking at her cheesecake with a fork. Wondering how Luke was doing with Liz and T.J., and wondering if Rory had managed to survive her parents' clumsy matchmaking long enough for Dean to come and rescue her. She smiled as he popped another forkful of cheesecake into her mouth and moaned softly. Luke had been so funny earlier that night. He was anxious to impress her with his cooking skills, happy to have her all to himself in his lair, and desperate to get T.J. out of there so that they could have their romantic dinner for two. Lorelai snorted to herself as she though about of all of the ways their evening had been derailed. Aside from T.J.'s pathetic sighs and moans, Lorelai had been distracted by Rory's desperate phone call and her parents' need to meddle. She had seen enough of their heavy handed tactics to know that it had to be an incredibly awkward evening for Rory, but knowing Rory, she knew her daughter would stick it out, smile politely, all the while, seething on the inside.

She was startled by headlights sweeping up the driveway. She glanced at the clock and noted that it was still early for Rory to be home from her date with Dean. Her heart leapt as it occurred to her that it could be Luke, coming over to finish their evening together. She jumped up from the couch and pulled back the curtain in time to see Rory stumbling out of a limousine with a squeal, the strap of her dress falling from her shoulder and a tiara perched precariously on her falling updo. Lorelai frowned as she noted a number of rowdy boys in the car, one of them calling, 'Whoa, Ace, you need some help there?' as Rory waved clumsily and made her way to the porch steps giggling and calling, 'Bye!' over her shoulder. Lorelai dropped the curtain with a sad sigh and walked over to the front door.

She pulled it open just as Rory had reached the porch and the limo was pulling away. "Oh, hi!" Rory said brightly. "You're not at Luke's," she said, stating the obvious.

"Very astute. No, Luke had some family issues to deal with tonight," Lorelai said as her daughter walked unsteadily past her and into the foyer. Lorelai closed the door and said, "So, it seems you had a good time, after all."

"Oh, yeah," Rory said with a nod.

Lorelai nodded back and asked, "What happened to Dean?"

"Oh, well, he came, but he didn't want to stay," Rory said vaguely.

Lorelai snorted and asked, "And you did?"

"Well, no, but I ran into Logan and those guys, and we kind of moved part of the party to the pool house," Rory explained awkwardly.

"Ah, the sub-party," Lorelai said knowingly. "So, I assume that one of the guys with the limo was Logan?" she asked casually as she followed Rory into the kitchen.

"Yeah," Rory answered as she pulled a bottle of water from the fridge. "Logan Huntzberger. I work with him on the Daily News," Rory said casually.

"Huntzberger? As in the newspaper Huntzberger's?" Lorelai asked as she went to one of the cabinets and pulled down a bottle of pills.

"Yeah, his dad is Mitchum Huntzberger and apparently they're friends with Grandma and Grandpa," Rory said as she twisted the cap from the water.

Lorelai tapped two into her palm and held them out to her daughter. "Wine or booze?" she asked as she handed her the pain relievers.

Rory blinked at the pills and then at her mother as she said, "Champagne."

Lorelai pulled a face and said, "Horrible hangover. Stay away from the sparkling stuff," she warned for future reference. "So, you know these guys?" she asked, trying to sound casual about it.

"Yeah, well, kind of. I know Logan from the paper. I've met Colin and Finn and some of the others before," she said nervously.

"So, uh, you blew off Dean to hang out with a bunch of guys you barely know?" Lorelai asked slowly.

"I did not blow Dean off," Rory jumped in defensively. "He blew me off," she said angrily.

"He did?" Lorelai asked, jerking her head back in surprise.

"Yeah, he did. He showed up and started going on and on, asking me what he was doing there and that he didn't belong there anymore, and he left," Rory said in a rush.

Lorelai smiled gently and pulled her to the table to sit down. "Well, kid, I can't say that I'm surprised," she said cautiously.

"What does that mean?" Rory snapped.

"Hon, you and Dean are in two really different places in your lives," Lorelai said gently. "You wanted Dean because he was someone who made you feel safe, like you did when you guys were first dating, but things have changed, Hon," Lorelai said as she reached out to stroke her daughter's hand. "Dean's just a guy, Rory, and apparently now, you're a consort fit for a king," she teased, gesturing to the tiara.

"I know," Rory said dejectedly.

"Now, aside from all of that, do I need to lecture you about running around with a group of guys you hardly know, drinking and riding around in limos?" she asked with a concerned half smile. "Not safe, Sweets," she told her firmly. "Especially since I am assuming the guy to girl ratio didn't change over the course of the evening," she added with a smirk.

Rory rolled her eyes and said, "They were fine, Mom."

"I know, I'm just saying," Lorelai said as she held up her hands.

"I'm going to wash my face and go to bed," Rory said tiredly.

"Didn't mean to be a buzz kill," Lorelai said pointedly. "Drink lots of water," she said as Rory stood up.

Rory grabbed the bottle of water and headed for her room. She took off the tiara and the rest of her Grandmother's jewelry and left her dress in a heap on the floor. When she emerged a few minutes later in her pajamas headed for the bathroom, she saw Lorelai still sitting at the table, fidgeting with the cow creamer. She stopped and said, "Its fine, Mom. Just a weird night," Rory assured her with a small smile.

"Oh, I know," Lorelai said quickly, flashing Rory a bright smile. "I was just wondering how Luke was doing," she said with a nod.

"Call him," Rory suggested as she went to wash up for the night.

Lorelai sat for a moment more, processing what she had just witnessed and trying to puzzle out what to do about her obviously confused daughter. Finally, she pushed herself up from the table with a sigh and grabbed the phone on her way back into the living room. She stripped off her jacket and sat on the couch holding the phone, still lost in thought as Rory trudged back to her room calling, "Goodnight," over her shoulder.

"Night," Lorelai answered as she snapped from her reverie. She looked down at the phone and pressed the 'on' button. She dialed Luke's apartment, but his machine came on. After the beep she said, "Hey, it's me. Just checking on you. You must be out burying the bodies. Call me when you can," she said before she pressed the 'off' button. She eyed the half eaten cheesecake on the coffee table for a minute before she reached for the container and picked up the fork again. She chewed another creamy forkful as she heard a soft knock on the door. She got up to answer it and found Luke on her doorstep holding a to-go cup of coffee and another container under his arm. "Hi," she said as her smile bloomed.

"Hi," he answered. "Sorry I didn't call, but I remembered that I promised you coffee and amaretto cookies, too," he explained as he held up the cup and the container.

Lorelai's smile widened as she asked, "Kelsey who?" and pulled him into the house by his shirt. Luke stopped in the foyer as Lorelai closed the door behind him and kissed him sweetly on the lips. "Perfect," she said shaking her head in wonder.

"Aside from the crazy family, you mean?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Are they okay?" she asked.

"They're fine. Home enjoying a nice romantic dinner with all of the leftovers I gave them," he told her. He smirked and asked sarcastically, "Isn't that nice?"

Lorelai kissed him again and said, "Dinner was great. It was like some kind of bizarre dinner theater," she said as she led him to the couch. "Instead of eating and watching the show, T.J. got to watch us eat as the drama unfolded around us," she said as she plopped down on the cushions and gratefully took the cup that he held out to her.

Luke sat down as she took a sip and opened the other container. "Cookie?" he offered, as he held the container out to her.

Lorelai looked at him and said, "I'm sorry our evening didn't go as planned."

"Me too," he said as he leaned over to kiss her. He smiled as he pulled back and set the container on the coffee table. He reached for her coffee cup, and she relinquished it with little resistance. He placed it carefully next to the container of cookies before he turned back to her and reached out to stroke her cheek as he buried his fingers in the curls behind her ear. He stroked her jaw with his thumb as he leaned in and kissed her, parting her lips gently with his and teasing them with his tongue.

Lorelai moaned softly and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her as he deepened the kiss. His tongue played over hers in a slow dance as he angled his head, drinking her in. When he broke off to rain kisses over her cheek and down onto her neck, Lorelai whispered, "Rory's home."

"Oh," Luke said as he stopped abruptly and sat up. "She is?" he asked with a frown.

Lorelai nodded and said, "In her room." She touched his hair, raking her nails through it tenderly as she said, "Didn't want things to get too, uh, heated there."

Luke nodded quickly and said, "I should go."

"You can't just kiss and run," she said with a laugh.

"I know, but," he said as he glanced over his shoulder uncomfortably.

"You just come in here with your amaretto cookies, and slow, soft kisses trying to seduce me," she said shaking her head slowly.

Luke smiled at her and said, "I did make you dinner."

Lorelai nodded solemnly and said, "You're right, I totally owe you sex."

Luke nodded and teased, "Those are the rules." He smiled tenderly as he reached out to toy with her hair and asked, "How was the rest of the party at your parents' house?"

Lorelai made a horrible face and said, "Disturbing."

Luke frowned and asked, "How so?"

Lorelai glanced down the hall toward Rory's room and said, "Hang on, come with me," as she stood up and grabbed her coffee. "Bring the cookies," she instructed as she headed for the stairs.

Luke stood up and grabbed the container. He saw her start up the stairs and hissed, "Where are you going?"

Lorelai pointed up and said, "My room."

"I can't go up there," he whispered harshly.

Lorelai rolled her eyes and said, "I'd swear I've seen you up there before."

"Not with Rory here," he said with a frown.

"I'm not gonna get you naked," she said with a laugh. "At least, I don't think so, we'll have to see how that goes," she amended.

"Lorelai," he said with a tired sigh.

"I want to talk to you, but I don't want to do it down here," she said as she gestured towards Rory's room with her head.

"Oh," he said softly. His face creased with concern as he followed her asking, "Is she okay?" He stepped into the first stair and grimaced at the sound of his boots. "Hang on," he whispered as he sat down to unlace his boots and pull them off. He followed her up the stairs in his sock feet and once Lorelai had closed her bedroom door behind them he asked, "What's going on?"

Lorelai dropped to the edge of her bed and reached for the container of cookies he was holding. Luke handed them to her as he sat down next to her. Lorelai plucked one from the bowl and said, "Well, I told you about the meat market my parents had arranged."

"Yeah, but I thought she was leaving early," Luke said with a frown.

"Well," she said slowly. "God Luke, you should have seen her. Dripping in diamonds, a damn tiara in her hair," Lorelai blurted waving her cookie around.

"What?" Luke asked, taken aback by her outburst.

"My mother had her all dolled up like Princess Barbie," Lorelai said shaking her head. "Enough jewelry to buy this house twice over. A tiara! A real tiara on her head, like she was, I don't know," she finished lamely. "I'm tellin' ya, there's enough ice down in her bedroom right now to buy and sell both of us five or six times," she said jerking her thumb at the door.

"Diamonds?" Luke asked incredulously.

"Serious diamonds," Lorelai said with a nod as she took a ferocious bite of her cookie.

"She's a twenty year old girl," Luke hissed.

"She's an heiress," Lorelai corrected with an arch look.

Luke blinked as he absorbed her words. He glanced down at his hands and then back up at her as he asked, "She is, isn't she?"

"They're trying to make a good match for her," she said snidely. "Introducing her to the right kind of boy," she said in a snooty tone.

"But, but," Luke stammered. "She's with Dean," Luke said lamely. He shook his head and said, "Never thought I'd be happy to say that," as he chuckled.

"Not anymore," Lorelai told him soberly.

"Huh? I thought that he was picking her up tonight," Luke said with a frown.

Lorelai nodded and said, "He was. He did, but when he got there, I imagine he got an eyeful of Rory in that get up, he got the memo," she said with a sigh. "He told her that he didn't fit in there, or with her, and left her there," she told him as she flopped back onto her pillows.

"Oh," Luke said softly, recalling the conversation they had in the Jeep when Lorelai had rescued him from the country club.

"Yeah," Lorelai said in an equally quiet voice. Lorelai nodded and sat up again. "You got your friend hat on? Because I really need you to be my friend right now," she asked softly.

"Always," he answered sincerely.

She looked around the room and then said, "I'm going to tell you something, but if you repeat it, I'll deny it as long as I live."

Luke shrugged and asked, "Who am I going to tell?"

"You know I love Rory. I love her with everything that I am," Lorelai said unequivocally.

"I know," Luke replied with a nod.

Lorelai looked up at him sadly. "I love her, but lately, I haven't liked her very much," she confessed in a whisper.

Luke pressed his lips together as he nodded slowly and then said, "Well, it can be like that sometimes. That's natural," he said with a small shrug. He looked at her solemnly and asked, "Wanna tell me why? I mean, not just because I'm curious, I am, but what I mean is, you can tell me, if you want to talk about it," he babbled.

Lorelai nodded and scooted up to rest against her headboard, drawing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She looked around the room for a moment and then said softly, "I did this to her."

"Did what?" Luke asked, turned to face her directly.

"Put her in this spot. Made it so that she's caught in the middle," she said shaking her head.

"In the middle of what?" Luke prodded gently.

"That world and this one," Lorelai said lifting her eyes to meet his. "I did it. I pushed her. I got her into Chilton. I went to my parent's and made a deal with the devil to get her in there," she said sadly. "I never should have done that. I should have kept her here. There's no reason why a kid from Stars Hollow High couldn't get into Harvard," she reasoned.

Luke shook his head and said, "You know going to Chilton gave her advantages she wouldn't have gotten here. How can you blame yourself for wanting to give your kid the best education she can have?" he asked.

"Because I know better, Luke," she hissed. "I know what it's like to live in that world. I was friends with those kids. I wore the stupid uniform; I had the parties in the pool house while my parents had theirs in the big house. I ran around with kids who got new Porsches for the sixteenth birthday's and then smashed them up without a care. Hell, her father did, I was sitting right next to him!" she said flinging her arm out carelessly.

"Shh," Luke cautioned her.

Lorelai snorted as she waved her hand and said, "She's passed out by now."

"Passed out?" Luke asked.

"Oh, did I not mention that she was a little drunk when she got home?" Lorelai asked facetiously.

"Rory?" Luke asked in a voice leaden with disbelief.

"She isn't ten anymore, Luke," Lorelai snapped.

Luke blinked at her anger and said quietly, "I know that."

Lorelai was immediately apologetic, leaning forward to take his hand and say, "I'm sorry, I really am." She sighed and said with a small sad smile, "You happened to be sitting there."

"I'm just trying to catch up," Luke said gruffly.

"I know," Lorelai said with another big sigh. "Okay, here's the lowdown," she said with a nod. "The night you kissed me at the Dragonfly was the night that I found out that Rory was seeing Dean again. We fought, and it was ugly. As you know, Rory took off to Europe with my mother. When she left we were barely speaking. She was hurt and confused, we both were," she said softly. "Are you with me so far?" she asked him. When Luke nodded, she took a deep breath and said, "Ever since then, things have been a little weird between us. She knows that I disapprove of what they did, and she resents my interference. We don't really talk about it, because we can't really agree, you know?" she asked with a grimace.

"I see," Luke said as he nodded his understanding.

"So, she's seeing Dean again, which I think was a desperate attempt on her part to cling to something she saw as safe. Something she could count on," she explained.

"I can see that," Luke said gruffly.

"Anyway, Rory came home tonight in her party dress and a gazillion dollars worth of jewelry. I saw the headlights come up the drive and I thought it might be you, so I went to the window in time to see her falling out of this stretch limo with about five guys all whooping it up," she said bitterly. "Turns out Dean came to my parents and saw her dressed up like that and understood that it wasn't going to be the same as it was before, you know? So, he left and she stayed and partied with the beautiful people," she said sadly.

Luke nodded again and asked leadingly, "And this is your fault because?"

"I don't know. I should have kept her from all of that," she said helplessly. "And now, she's stuck. Stuck in between this world, the Mom and Stars Hollow world, and that world, the one where who you are and what you have matters more than what you can be," she said sadly.

"But, Rory's not like that," Luke insisted.

"No, not really, but she's attracted to it. I can see it," she said softly. "She's attracted to it in the same way that I'm repulsed by it. I'm not sure if it's some kind of rebellion against me, and the way I chose to raise her, or if it's just because she didn't grow up with all of that, and she's dazzled by it," she said with a shrug. "All I know is that Rory, our Rory, Stars Hollow Rory, she's not really the same anymore," she said as tears filled her eyes.

"Oh, Lorelai," Luke said as he moved to take her in his arms. "Yes, she is," he whispered into her hair. "She's just young and confused," he said as he rubbed her back, feeling the sobs ripple through her. "But basically, she's the same. You don't just lose all of that," he said confidently.

"She won't talk to me. She doesn't want to tell me things anymore," she said brokenly.

"Yeah, but kids her age are like that. No one wants their parents to know everything," he said reasonably.

Lorelai shook her head and said, "It's almost reckless, like she doesn't care who she's hurting. Me, Lindsay, Dean, anyone," she said as she pulled back and shook her head sadly. "She doesn't care," she said softly.

"Yes, she does," Luke insisted. "She just doesn't know what to do about it all."

Lorelai gave him a watery smile and said, "I love that you want to think the best about her."

"I do think the best of her," Luke said as he wiped the tears from her cheeks with his fingertips. "She's a good girl, a good young woman," he corrected himself. "And you're a good mother. You raised her right," he assured her. "She's gonna screw up, Lorelai. We all did. We still do," he said with a small chuckle. "But you have to trust that she'll figure it out in time," he said sincerely. "She will," he said as he pulled her close again, holding her tightly.

Lorelai breathed in the scent of him and whispered, "What would I do if you weren't my friend? I mean, aside from the whole lovin', touchin' squeezin' thing we have going on here, you are a really good friend, Luke," she said softly.

"And I always will be," he said gruffly. "No matter what, we were friends first, Lorelai," he said as he smoothed her hair back from her face. "We'll always be friends first," he said as he pulled back to look into her eyes.

Lorelai nodded and leaned in to kiss him softly. She smiled as she pulled back and said, "That doesn't mean that the whole, lovin', touchin', squeezin' thing isn't really good."

"True," Luke said with a nod. "But, could you lose the Journey reference? I hate Journey," he growled.

Lorelai grinned at him and said, "Done." She ran her thumb over his bottom lip and said, "Thanks for listening."

Luke smiled and kissed her thumb before he said, "I never thought I'd say this, but thanks for talking to me about it. I know it's been bothering you."

"Can I have another cookie?" she asked, gesturing to the container that had been pushed behind him when he moved to hold her.

"You bet," Luke said as he turned to grab the container and held it out to her.

"So, pretty screwed up date night," she said as she sat back against the headboard and nibbled on the cookie that she held.

"One for the books," Luke agreed with a nod.

Lorelai smiled at him and said, "I really wanted to have a nice quiet dinner at your place and then a nice noisy time in your bed."

"We'll have a do over," he said with a grin. "Tomorrow night," he said decisively.

"You're on. What are you making?" she asked.

"Frozen pizza with tater tots," he answered without missing a beat.

"You are trying to get me in bed," she purred as she nudged his leg with her toes.

"Well known aphrodisiacs for seducing Lorelai Gilmore," Luke answered with a nod.

Lorelai giggled and then looked up at him through her lashes. "You don't need to cook, I'm betting you get lucky without it," she flirted.

Luke smiled broadly and said, "Yeah, but I need to keep your energy level up."

Lorelai popped the rest of the cookie into her mouth and chewed deliberately as she leaned forward, bracing herself on her arms as she stared at him as if he were the cheesecake he had given her earlier. "What?" he asked suspiciously.

Lorelai shook her head, swallowed the cookie and leaned in and whispered, "Kiss me, buddy."

Luke smiled as he pecked her lips with his and asked, "Like that, pal?"

"Like this," she whispered as he kissed him fiercely, pouring all of the pent up emotion from the evening into him.

Luke responded immediately, kissing her back as he moved to push her back against the pillows again. He stretched out over her, angling his head to deepen the kiss as she held him against her, pressing up into him. They kissed heatedly for a few minutes before Luke reluctantly pulled away. He looked down at her with eyes darkened with desire as he said softly, "I should go."

"You should stay," Lorelai said as she held him to her.

Luke smiled wanly and said, "I want to. I really want to," he added as he pressed his arousal into her. "I can't," he whispered.

"Yes, you can," she answered.

Luke shook his head and said, "I wouldn't feel right about it."

"Just stay for a little while. I promise, you don't have to take any of your clothes off," she teased.

Luke eyed her warily and asked, "What about yours?"

"I promise, you do not have to take any of my clothes off," she said as she kissed him softly.

Luke kissed her again and said, "I'm not an idiot. I know what you're trying to trick me into."

"You would be completely innocent," she whispered in a husky voice.

"You, on the other hand," he said with a chuckle.

"I'm a brazen hussy," she said with a grin as she reached down to stroke him through his jeans. She looked at him appraisingly and whispered, "You can stop me at any time."

"I don't want to, that's the problem," he said as he closed his eyes, savoring her seductive touch.

"You brought me cookies. You made me dinner and gave me a whole cheesecake," she whispered as she slid her hand around to run it over his ass, pressing him hard against her. "I need to thank you," she murmured as she nipped at his ear.

"No, you don't," he said raggedly.

"I'm very grateful," she insisted as she drew his soft earlobe into her mouth and sucked on it gently before catching it between her teeth.

"I don't want gratitude," he whispered.

"But, I need to show you how I feel about you," she murmured against his neck.

Luke pulled back and looked down at her seriously as he asked, "How's that?"

Lorelai looked up at him and said, "I think you know."

"Tell me," he insisted.

"You're my friend, my boyfriend, my lover, you're everything all rolled up in one pretty package," she said, evading his question skillfully.

Luke nodded, recognizing her tactics, and asked leadingly, "And that makes you feel?"

Lorelai met his eyes as she answered simply, "Loved."

Luke nodded and said, "Good."

Lorelai touched his cheek gently and asked, "You feel it too, right?"

"Yes," he answered with another nod.

"Good," she whispered. "Love me, Luke," she said softly.

Luke lowered his head again, kissing her with enough tenderness to make her ache with need. She fisted her hand into his hair and held him there, letting his lips play over hers softly as he tongue darted out to tease hers. "Lorelai," he sighed as he melted into her, kissing her deeply.

Lorelai's fingers scrambled for the buttons on his shirt, unfastening a couple of them before she tugged his shirts up, pushing them over his chest and up over his head. "Okay?" she asked. Luke simply resumed kissing her as her hands played over his warm skin. He slid his hand up under her shirt and caressed her breast through her lacy bra, groaning softly into her mouth when he felt her nipple bead beneath his touch.

Realizing that he was going to take her at her word, Lorelai pressed on his ribs, signaling for him to lift up as she grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head. She smiled at him, trying to suppress her amused giggle a she quickly unhooked her bra and tossed it aside, before pulling his bare chest back to hers and rubbing against him sinuously. "You feel so good," he breathed as he leaned down and kissed her neck. "Soft and warm," he whispered as he drew her tender skin into his mouth and nipped at it gently.

Lorelai smiled and said, "Darn, 'cause I was going for hard and cold."

Luke looked down at her and asked playfully, "Would you settle for hard and hot?"

"That's not settling," she murmured as she ran her hand over his bare back.

"Mom?" they heard Rory call and then footsteps on the stairs.

"Oh my God!" Luke said as he launched himself from the bed, scrambling for their shirts. He tossed Lorelai hers, but couldn't locate her bra as he pulled both of his shirts over his head and forced his arms through the twisted sleeves.

"Hold on, Sweets, I'm coming," Lorelai called as she pulled her shirt on inside out and without a bra. Luke spun around in a panic, trying to figure out if he could fit in her already bulging closet. "Stay here," Lorelai hissed in a whisper as she slipped out of the door. She smiled brightly at Rory who was just reaching for the doorknob and said, "Hi!" When she saw her daughter's face she frowned and asked, "Are you okay?"

"My bed is spinning. I wanna get in yours. It's not spinning is it?" Rory asked pathetically.

"Oh, kiddo," Lorelai said as he wrapped a sympathetic arm around her daughter's shoulders. She cast a worried glance at the closed door and turned Rory to lead her back downstairs saying, "Let me take a look at that bed."

"It's a bad bed," Rory grumbled as they went back downstairs. She glanced down as they reached the foot of the stairs and saw Luke's boots pushed off to the side. She stopped as her eyes widened as she looked at her mother and saw that her shirt was on inside out. Lorelai froze in place as Rory whispered, "Oh my God."

"That's what he said," Lorelai muttered under her breath.

Rory look at her mother, her mouth gaping in shock as she gulped and asked, "Is Luke up there?"

"This night just keeps getting better and better," Lorelai mumbled as she hung her head. She hooked her thumbs in her jeans and said, "Listen, Sweets…" as they heard footsteps on the roof, they both looked up at the ceiling. Lorelai said, "Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" as she rushed for the door.

"Um, I'm going back to bed," Rory said blankly as she shuffle in the direction of her room.

Lorelai ran out into the yard and saw Luke about to reach for the tree limb. She hissed up at him, "Are you nuts? What are you doing?"

"I figured I'd sneak out," he said in a loud whisper hooking his thumb at the tree.

"You don't have any shoes on," Lorelai hissed back. "Get down from there!" Luke nodded and when he reached for the tree again she said, "Through the window!"

"But Rory," he started.

"Has already figured it out," she said with her hands on her hips. "Get back inside," she said, waving him toward her bedroom window before she stormed back into the house.

She went to Rory's room and cracked the door open. Rory looked up at her and asked, "Did you get him off of the roof?"

"Yeah," Lorelai said with a sigh as she sat on the edge of Rory's bed. "Listen, Rory," she started to say.

"Mom, it's totally fine. I just want to forget I ever knew anything," she said as she pulled the blankets up higher around her ears.

"Sweets," Lorelai said cajolingly.

"I'm not mad," Rory assured her. "A little embarrassed, but not mad," she said with a chuckle. "Walking up there calling for my Mommy," she mumbled.

Lorelai smiled and said, "Well, you couldn't possibly be half as embarrassed as Luke is, I'm sure."

Rory nodded and said, "Probably not."

"I'm sorry. It was my fault. I lured him up there. You know he's powerless against me," she joked.

"I know," Rory said with a solemn nod.

"You're sure you're not mad?" Lorelai asked.

Rory shook her head and said, "Made the bed stop spinning."

"Nothing like a little mortification to sober everyone up," Lorelai agreed with a nod of her own. "This won't happen again," she promised.

"Mom, it's okay. You're a gown up, Luke's a grown up, its fine," Rory said quickly. "Can we stop talking about it now?" she asked.

Lorelai nodded and said, "Okay, but if it makes you feel any better, I'm pretty sure Luke will never come over again while you're within a twenty mile radius."

"Well, it's a good thing for you that Yale is a little farther than that," Rory said with a smirk.

"You're sure you feel okay now?" Lorelai asked. "You want some more water?"

"I'm good," Rory said with a nod.

Lorelai stood up and said, "Well, I had better say goodnight to Luke, if he's still here. Come and get me if you need me," she told her.

"Not likely," Rory said with a snort.

"Goodnight, Sweets," Lorelai said as she pulled Rory's door shut behind her. She exhaled loudly, blowing her hair out of her eyes as she walked toward the stairs. She reached down, scooped up Luke's boots as she passed and climbed the steps slowly. When she stepped into the room, she saw Luke sitting on the bed with his shoulders hunched, wringing his hands anxiously. "So, I guess we really weren't supposed to do this tonight," she said softly as she cradled his boots nervously in her arms.

Luke let out a rueful laugh and said, "No."

"Are you mad?" she asked softly.

He shook his head and said, "Nah, not mad."

"Can you look at me?" she asked gently. When he raised his head to meet her eyes she said, "I'm sorry. I never dreamed she would get up, she was so out of it."

Luke nodded and said, "Bed spins suck."

Lorelai winced as she stepped closer to him and said, "If it makes you feel any better, I think she's more embarrassed about you hearing her call for her Mommy than the fact that you were here."

Luke nodded mutely and held his hand out for his boots. Lorelai gave them to him and then stood back and watched as he put them on and laced them. He stood up and flattened his palms along his thighs, pressing the jeans down as he shook them out over the boots. He looked up at her and asked, "Walk me to the door?"

Lorelai nodded, unsure of what to say to him. They walked downstairs, careful not to touch and Lorelai followed him to the front door. She fidgeted nervously and said, "Thanks for the coffee and the cookies."

Luke nodded and said, "You're welcome."

"Sorry about the farce," she offered lamely.

Luke nodded tiredly and leaned down to kiss her gently. He stepped back and said, "Never again."

Lorelai nodded and said, "I figured."

Luke smiled and said, "We'll try again tomorrow. At my place," he said pointedly.

Lorelai reached up to kiss him again and said, "Tomorrow." Luke squeezed her hand gently, lifted it to his lips for a kiss and then turned to walk down the porch steps. As he began to cross the yard, Lorelai called, "Thanks for the talk."

"I'm always here," he called back with a half wave of his hand.

Lorelai nodded and said, "Thanks for that too."

"Anytime," he said with a smile as he turned to walk home.


	5. Jealousy Says Hello

**Jealousy Says Hello**

Luke sat through the movie, his thoughts a million miles away. He vaguely recalled seeing Demi Moore turning herself into a coke whore. He knows there was something about one of the guys sleeping with the other guy's girlfriend, he watched as Rob Lowe treated the blonde girl with careless disregard, but what stuck him the hardest was watching that Emilio guy follow the chick from the shampoo commercials around like a pathetic puppy dog. The look on his face when he saw her with that boyfriend of hers. Luke knew that face well, that mixture of anger and devastation that flowed through your veins when you saw the girl of your dreams walking off with some other guy. At least old Emilio had the balls to plant one on her before he drove off into the snow in the borrowed LeBaron convertible.

He was quiet on the way home, only half listening to her while chastising himself over the fact that even though he now had the girl, he still felt like Emilio. When they pulled up to her house, Luke killed the engine and turned to look at her wrapping his arm over the back of the seat.

"Okay, so, you know what's great about this country?" she asked.

"Nope," he answered.

Lorelai grinned and said, "If you try hard enough, you can eventually find a showing of 'St. Elmo's Fire' on the big screen."

Luke smiled and said sarcastically, "Yes, that's what gets us the good seats at the summits," as he opened his door and got out to walk around to her side.

"Come on, admit it. Rob Lowe pretending to play the saxophone was incredibly hot," Lorelai called through her open window.

"Oh, I admit it," Luke said dryly as he opened her door for her.

Lorelai climbed down from the truck and said, "And also, Andrew McCarthy at his best. Though 'Less Than Zero' runs a very close second."

As Luke led her to the porch he humored her by quietly saying, "I'm sure it does."

"You hated the movie," Lorelai said with a laugh as she reached for his hand.

Luke chuckled and admitted, "Yes, although, I love the fact that it got me out of a town meeting, so all in all, a very successful evening." He turned to her on the steps and pulled her close to him, kissing her sweetly. Lorelai pressed her hand to his shoulder and turned her head to deepen the kiss.

When she drew away she asked, "You sure you can't stay?"

Luke sighed heavily and said, "I've got really early deliveries tomorrow. I'll make it up to you this weekend," as he squeezed her gently.

"I'm going to hold you to that, Mister," Lorelai warned. Luke leaned in and kissed her again, clearly torn over leaving her. Reluctantly they parted and Lorelai gave the lapel of his jacket a little tug as she turned toward the door, hoping he'd change his mind and follow her. She glanced back at him over her shoulder and saw him step down from the porch and turn toward his truck.

Luke stopped and turned as he called out to her. "Oh, by the way, it's fine about lunch," he said holding up his hand in a placating motion.

"What?" Lorelai asked blankly.

"You having lunch with Christopher, I just want you to know I'm fine with it," he told her out of the blue.

Lorelai's eyes widened as she said, "Oh, okay. Good," she added awkwardly as she pulled her keys from her purse.

"Yep, all right. See you tomorrow," he said with a nod as he headed for his truck. Lorelai watched him go with a puzzled look. When she heard the truck start up and turned to unlock the door and let herself in. Closing the door behind her she sighed, trying to figure out what that was about.

XXXX

Luke drove through town cursing himself and his inability to keep his big mouth shut. All night long, he sat quietly, biting down on it. He walked her to the door, kissed her goodnight, he was home free, and what did he do? He blew it walking away. He turned around and began babbling about her having lunch with Christopher being okay with him, making it painfully clear to both of them that it absolutely was not. He parked the truck behind the diner, gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. "I am a jealous man," he said out loud. He pressed his forehead to his hands and took two big gulping breaths. _I'm jealous of Christopher. It makes me crazy that he will always have place in her life. Of course he's gonna have a place in her life, they have Rory together. He'll have a place in her life as long as they live. He was there first. He's been there the longest, hell they were childhood friends. They have a thirty year history, that doesn't just go away,_ he told himself.

He pulled the handle and kicked the door open with his foot. As he hopped down from the truck he thought, _And me? I'm letting it get to me. I'm with her now, but I spend our whole evening together stewing and fretting because she and her kid had lunch with her kid's dad. It's ridiculous, get a grip, _he told himself._ But why didn't she tell me to start with? _he wondered. As he slid his key into the back door, he smirked at himself and thought, _Maybe because she knew you would freak out exactly like you're doing. _Luke sighed and let go of the key as he looked up and down the empty alley. _Really early deliveries,_ he sneered at himself. _So what? Does she not have an alarm clock? She wanted you to come in. She wanted you to stay, and you said no. Is it really because the bread and meat guys will be here early tomorrow, or are you punishing her? _he asked himself. He ran his hand over the back of his hair and rubbed his neck tiredly. _Who's being punished here, anyway? Are you getting back at Christopher by denying Lorelai? Are you really teaching that worthless schmuck a lesson by denying yourself?_ his inner demon raged. Luke pulled his keys from the door and headed back to his truck.

Five minutes later he was parked in her driveway. He saw that the lamp in the living room was out and paused, debating whether he should knock on her door. Finally, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell. He listened while the phone rang and the machine picked up. At the beep, he paused and then said, "Hey, yeah, it's me. I was just, well I was wondering if you had an alarm clock. A real one, one that works and doesn't purr or…"

"Hello?" Lorelai answered, panting for breath.

"Hi," he said with a smile.

"Where are you?" she asked breathlessly.

"In your driveway," he answered. "Does the invitation still stand?" he asked.

"Get in here," she said with a grin. She slammed the phone back onto the charger and rushed to open the door for him. She smiled radiantly and said, "You changed your mind."

"I was serious about the alarm clock thing, though. I really do have to get up insanely early," he warned her.

Lorelai grin as she reached for the lapels of his jacket and pulled him into the house. "Well them we should put you to bed right away," she teased.

"What were you doing? It took you a long time to answer the phone," he asked as he shrugged out of his jacket.

"Oh, well, I was letting the machine take it. Christopher called a little while ago and left a message. He and Rory have some kind of weird thing going on right now, and I don't want to get caught up in the middle," she said wrinkling her nose.

"He has a problem with Rory so he calls you?" Luke asked, his agitation rising again.

"Well, you know, I've always been sort of the buffer between them," Lorelai said as she took his hand and led him toward the stairs.

"But Rory is an adult now. If he has a problem with Rory, shouldn't he be calling Rory?" Luke demanded.

"Yes, he should, which is why I didn't answer the phone when he called," Lorelai pointed out. She smiled as she picked up the DVD and the bowl of popcorn off of the bed. "Now that you're here, I won't be needing these," she said as she set them on the dresser.

"Does he do this a lot?" Luke asked.

"What? Lorelai asked. "Call me?"

"Yeah," he grunted, his hands on his hips.

"No, not a lot," she answered as she nervously straightened her room. "I mean, sometimes. Like when Sherry up and left and he was freaking out over taking care of Gigi," she said with a shrug. "Other than that, you know how it is, sometimes we don't hear from him for months."

Luke looked around the room and asked, "You're okay with that?"

Lorelai shrugged and said, "It's never been anything else."

"But he broke you heart. Over and over again," Luke persisted.

Lorelai shook her head and said, "No. He broke my heart once, and that was only because I fooled myself into thinking that things could be different," she answered softly as she looked over at him. She looked at him steadily and said, "You know what our history is. You know that even before Rory was born, Chris and I were friends."

"I know," he said with a defeated sigh.

Lorelai looked at him and said, "I don't want to talk about him anymore. You're here with me," she said as she walked over to stand in front of him. "And I am so glad," she said softly as he reached up to stroke his cheek. She pecked a kiss to his lips and asked, "What time do I need to set the alarm for?"

"Four," he answered automatically.

"Yikes," she muttered as she set the correct time. She set the clock down and looked over to see him standing there, his hands on his hips, staring at his shoes. "Luke?" she asked gently.

He looked up at her and said, "I should go home."

Lorelai rolled her eyes and said, "You have to be the biggest tease I have ever met." She sauntered back over to him saying, "You're always coming in here all scruffy and sexy, and getting my hopes up and then telling me that you have to go home." She shook her head as she grabbed a fistful of his shirt and looked up at him. "You're mine now," she said sternly.

Luke ducked his head and kissed her passionately, pouring all of his pent up emotion into the kiss. Lorelai clung to his shirt for balance, and then opened to him as he wrapped his arms tightly around her, pressing her to his hard body. He deepened the kiss, his tongue parting her lips as he thrust into her mouth, seeking hers and massaging it with his. His hands sought the hem of the top she had changed into and began pulling at it urgently, trying to get it off of her. He broke the kiss, breathing heavily as his eyes bore into hers. He stripped the shirt from her, pleased to see that she had already discarded her bra for the evening. He hauled her up against him again as his mouth continued its assault on her senses. He reached up and cupped her breast firmly, squeezing it possessively as their tongues dueled for control.

Lorelai didn't even bother with the buttons on his flannel. Pulling his t-shirt from his jeans, she pushed both shirts up over his chest and pulled away as she pulled them over his head and yanked them from his arms. She reached for his neck and pulled him back down to her, kissing him heatedly as she rubbed against the soft hair of his chest. Luke's hands were everywhere, sliding up her back, pressing her into him as his palms molded to the curve of her ribcage. He slid one down into the back of her sweats and cupped her ass, squeezing the silky flesh hard and pulling her roughly against his arousal.

Lorelai broke the kiss and looked up at him in confusion. She usually was not the type of girl that got off on making her boyfriend jealous, and most of the time possessive guys turned her off, but there was something in Luke's eyes that sent a rush of desire surging through her. There was a raw vulnerability, raging against uncertainty and naked desire in their dark blue depths. She caught his lips with hers again and gave herself over to him, melting into him as he plundered her mouth. He slipped his hand from her pants and spanned her waist with both hands as he walked her back to the bed, tumbling down on top of her as she fell. He attacked her neck, sucking on the tender skin, heedless of leaving marks as he hands sought her warm flesh. He squeezed her breast, tweaking and pinching her nipple roughly between his fingers as his mouth continued it's descent across her throat, nipping and tugging at her skin. She dug her fingers into his back, urging him on as he bent his head and caught her hardened nipple between his teeth. She gave a little gasp and arched up into him as he bit her gently and then sucked her into his hot mouth laving her with his tongue. His hands cupped her breasts, offering them up to his questing mouth, kneading the sensitive skin as he devoured her.

Lorelai moaned, pressing into him and rubbing her sex against him wantonly. Luke needed no further encouragement. He reared back and grasped the elastic waist of her pants stripping them down her legs and dragging her panties with them. He looked down at her splayed across the bed, her mouth swollen from his kisses, her nipples rosy and erect, her creamy skin stretched out before him. He quickly undid his pants, toeing off his shoes as he stripped off the rest of his clothes and placed one knee on the bed between her legs. She reached out, beckoning him to her with eyes half closed with desire. He ran his hands roughly up over her thighs, parting her legs, and using his thumbs to part her folds. When he touched her, he found her wet and warm. Lorelai moaned softly and let her legs fall open in blatant invitation. He pressed his fingers to her clit and watched as she arched up, aching for more of his touch. He let them slide down to her entrance and pressed two into her roughly. "Oh!" she cried out in a mixture of surprise and pleasure. Her hips began to move as he stroked her, watching as she licked her dry lips and closed her eyes as she writhed against his hand.

Luke pulled his fingers from her, and she whimpered at the loss. She opened her eyes to see him staring at her as he raised his fingers to his mouth and sucked her juices from them. "Oh Luke," she panted as he watched his eyes close with pleasure as he tasted her. They snapped back open a second later as he positioned himself between her legs, pulling her silky thigh up high on his ribcage and plunged into her recklessly. "Oh God!" she cried as he drove into her. Her hands flew to his shoulders as she looked up at him in wonder. She had never seen him like this, so out of control, so driven. His eyes were tightly closed as he thrust into her hard and fast, he heard nothing but her little gasps and soft moans, he felt nothing but her heat squeezing around his hard cock. She could feel him pulsing inside of her harder and hotter than he had ever been before. "Oh, Luke," she whispered. He opened his eyes and looked down into hers. She saw them widen with shock and fill with concern as he slowed, gentling his strokes. She shook her head and whispered, "No, no, don't stop." She clung to him and said, "Please don't, oh please," she panted.

Luke looked down at her and nodded, quickening his pace again and thrusting into her with everything that he had. "Lorelai," he whispered breathlessly.

"Yes, yes, your Lorelai," she answered, spurring him on. Luke groaned and shifted so that he entered her from above, the shaft of his cock rubbing against her with each stroke. "Oh God, Luke," she moaned as he felt her climax coming on hard and fast. "Oh, yes Luke, oh! Yours," she panted as she broke apart. "Yours, yours, only yours," she chanted as she squeezed him hard, tightening her muscles around him and sending him over the edge.

He thrust into her harder, her words washing over him as he felt his orgasm bearing down on him like a freight train. "Lorelai!" he cried in a hoarse voice as he filled her, pumping into her hard and hot. "Oh, Lorelai," he sighed as his quivering arms collapsed under his weight and he fell to her. She held him tightly, her fingers tangling in the soft curls at the nape of his neck as her hand smoothed over his back.

"Shh, shh," she whispered to him as her gasped for breath. "It's okay," she soothed in a soft voice.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into her neck in a choked voice.

"Don't be," she whispered back.

"I," he started to say, but she cut him off.

"Luke, it's okay," she told him gently. She chuckled softly as she said, "But I guess you're not really okay with it."

He lifted his head and said contritely, "Lorelai, I just… I don't know," he finished lamely.

"It's alright to feel what you feel, Luke, but I'm with you now," she told him firmly.

"I know," he said softly.

"And we're going to have to deal with this," she said bluntly. "I mean, not that hot, jealous sex isn't great, but, Hon," she said softly.

"I know," he said again as he kissed her gently and pulled away from her. He flopped over onto his back and covered his eyes with his forearm. "I know," he said more firmly.

Lorelai rolled onto her side, bracing her hand on his chest and toying with the curls there. "Luke, I don't know what to say to make you feel better. I can't promise you anything. I'm going to see him, I'm going to talk to him, there's nothing I can do about that, we have a kid together," she said with a shrug.

"I know, I know," Luke said helplessly as he dropped his arm to his side. "I just have to get over it. I just have to get past it, I know," he said as he turned to look at her. "I'll get better, I promise. I'll try," he said sincerely.

"I know you will," Lorelai said as she leaned over to kiss him. She cocked her head and said, "That was really hot, though."

Luke chuckled and said, "Yeah, nothing like sex with a crazy man."

Lorelai smiled and said, "Nothing like making love with someone who wants you so badly that he can't control himself." She stroked his cheek and said, "The eyes give you away."

Luke chuckled and closed those expressive eyes as he said, "I really should have stayed at home tonight."

Lorelai shook her head and said, "I'm so glad you didn't."

He opened his eyes and said sincerely, "I don't want to be your crazy jealous boyfriend."

"Well then, we'll just have to settle for plain old boyfriend then," she said with a nod.

He looked at her long and hard and said, "Sometimes I still can't believe it's me."

"But it is," she said simply.

"It is," he agreed with a smile.

Lorelai nodded and said, "Well, if you're done having you way with me, we should probably try getting into the bed since you have to be up before dawn in the morning."

He rolled onto his side and ran his hand over the curve of her hip. "I could go home. I'd hate to wake you that early," he said sincerely.

Lorelai snorted and said, "Like I'll even notice when you leave. You know how I sleep."

Luke smiled and said, "Yes, I do."

"Besides, you can't just come over here, jump me and run," she said sternly.

"I don't want to run," he told her.

Lorelai nodded and said, "There's a toothbrush for you in the bathroom. I bought it yesterday so that you don't have to keep carrying your stuff back and forth."

Luke smiled and said, "You're very sweet."

Lorelai shrugged and said, "I like you."

Luke lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it tenderly as he said, "The feeling is very, very mutual."

"Hey Luke?" she said as he stood up and held his hand out to help her up.

"Yeah," he answered, wrapping his hand around hers as they stumbled unsteadily toward the bathroom.

"I liked the jumping part. You should do that again sometime," she said with a grin.

Luke smirked and said, "I'll write in on my calendar. Wednesday night, jump Lorelai."

"Cool," she said as she handed him the blue toothbrush she chose for him. "You take Wednesdays, I'll jump you on Mondays," she told him as she squeezed toothpaste onto her brush.

"Why Mondays?" he asked as he squeezed some of her funky toothpaste onto his brush with a slight grimace.

"Why not?" she asked with a mouth full of foam.

Luke nodded and said, "Mondays it is," as he began to brush along side of her.


	6. A Little Light in the Dark

**A Little Light in the Dark**

Lorelai was at a complete loss. How did she not know about Luke's Dark Day? How could she be friends with this man, close friends, for eight years and no know this about him? Of course, it wasn't all that unusual for Luke to take a day off from the diner here and there. It would be entirely possible that he had been doing this, and she just never noticed that he was gone on the same day each year. But still, this seemed like something a friend would know. Granted, Luke's parents were both gone by the time she blew into his life. She also knew Luke well enough to know that no one could hold onto things longer than Luke Danes, I mean, come on, look at the phone in his apartment, it's a prime example. Still, it bothered her that Patty was the one to tell her. It bothered her even more that when she tried to get Luke to agree to going to Patty's party, he made some lame excuse about a business meeting and turned out the light rather than telling her what he would really be doing that day. Lorelai snorted to herself and wondered if he really thought she had bought the bit about the banking business that he had to attend to at eight o'clock on a Tuesday night.

She spent all of Monday morning quizzing everyone she knew for details about this new facet of Luke, but no one had anything more to offer than what she already knew. She decided to head down to the diner to see if she could turn up the heat a little, and get him to fess up about his 'banking business in Woodbury' and what all it might entail. As she was cruising down Peach Street, she spotted Luke standing in Mrs. Thompson's driveway berating the poor little old woman. She pulled to the curb and went over to see what was going on. As she walked up the drive she heard Mrs. Thompson arguing fruitlessly with him about her garage. It turned out that Luke had been renting the garage for years to store a boat that had belonged to his Dad. Lorelai tried to calm him down, to get him to listen to reason, but Luke was too upset to hear anything. He yelled at them to get rid of the boat, to cut it up for firewood and stormed off. Lorelai chased him down and finally convinced him to let her give him a ride back to the diner.

When Lorelai pulled up in front of the diner, she put the car in park and said, "And over here we have the world famous Luke's diner, home of the best coffee on the east coast and the most delightful and chatty proprietor since Mel kissed Flo's grits." She looked over at him as he sat quietly, but made no attempt to leave the car. "Okay, well, I should get back to the inn," she said awkwardly. When he still didn't respond, she laughed nervously and said, "I hope you've enjoyed your tour and don't forget to buy yourself a souvenir plastic monkey on the way out."

Luke turned in his seat, but could not raise his eyes as he told her, "Tomorrow's the anniversary of my Dad's death."

When he finally looked up at her she sighed and said, "Ugh. Oh, hon."

Luke looked down again and said, "And every year on that anniversary I, uh, I disappear." He glanced up at her nervously and said, "I don't work. I don't talk to anyone. I get in this kind of a funk. Its like I'm…" he trailed off.

"You have a dark day," she said as she finally understood.

"Yeah, I have a dark day," he confirmed. He turned to look at her and said, "I thought I should tell you this because we're in relationship and I thought you might wonder why I suddenly don't answer the phone or I'm not around. Why you can't flip your hair and con me into going to Miss Patty's crazy anniversary party," he finished softly.

"The hair flip is that effective, huh?" she asked.

"Combine that with your black dress and you could probably get me to be your backup dancer," Luke admitted gruffly.

Lorelai smiled and said, "I'll remember that."

Luke looked at her steadily and said, "I've never told anyone this before. I don't really like to talk about it."

Lorelai wrinkled her nose and said, "I guess that explains the thing with Mrs. Thompson."

Luke took a deep breath and said, "Yeah. Some timing, her springing this boat thing on me now. I'll apologize to her," he promised. He sighed and said, "You know he never finished that boat. It's been sitting there half done for 15 years."

Lorelai shrugged a little and asked, "Hey, Luke, don't you think you might have been a little too hasty about the boat decision. I mean your upset and I bet someday you're gonna be really sorry you don't have that boat anymore."

Luke shook his head slightly and said, "No, its better she gets rid of the thing now."

"But," she tried to interject.

Luke stared blindly through the windshield of the Jeep as he said, "I haven't even looked at that boat since my dad got sick. Not a glance, nothing."

"Even more reason," Lorelai argued.

"If it's gone then I don't have to deal with it. Its time to move on. You know?" he asked as he turned to look at her.

"But," she said again, biting her tongue as he cut her off again.

"I'm fine," he assured her with a nod. "Really. Thanks for the ride," he said quietly.

"Anytime," she said as he leaned over and kissed her briefly. He unlatched his seatbelt and gave her one last look as he got out of the car.

Lorelai stewed about it all afternoon and evening, and then the following morning she called Mrs. Thompson, and after a lengthy and painful negotiation, she arranged to buy Luke's boat. In addition to the boat she had to agree to take all of the other useless junk the old woman was anxious to part with as part of the deal. She had the boat hauled over and put in her garage. She was unable to close the garage doors because the boat was too big to fit in there with all of the junk she hadn't had time to clear out. She suckered Sookie into helping her camouflage the garage with a number of potted tress and vowed to have the boat moved to another location once she was sure Luke was clear headed enough to make the decision to get rid of it once and for all.

And then it all backfired. As she was leaving for Patty's party that night she heard a commotion outside. Luke had come by to bring her the eyeglasses that she had left at his apartment, and was attacked by Mrs. Thompson's numerous Thigh Masters. As he was leaving he noticed the garage and the trees and went over to inspect it before she could stop him. When he saw the boat, he turned his anger on her, yelling that she didn't care anything about his feelings or what he wanted, that she only cared about what she would want. She tried to make him stay, to talk or to yell, whatever he wanted, but Luke just said that she didn't listen to anything he had to say anyway and walked away.

Lorelai went to Patty's party, but she was sad and distracted. She sipped at her punch listlessly, with Sookie at her side. Patty was singing about the coffee in Brazil when she glimpsed Luke hanging around outside of the studio. She grabbed her coat and ran out to talk to him. "Hey," she said as she pulled her coat around her and walked down the steps.

Luke stood sheepishly, his hands buried in his pockets as he said, "See there's a reason I stay away from people on this particular day. It's because I kinda suck."

"Oh, Luke, I'm so sorry. I should've listened to you. I should've stayed out of it," she said sincerely. She shifted nervously as she said, "You were right. I didn't think. I mean I didn't think like you would think. I thought like I would think and my thinking is sometimes very, very wrong if you're not me. And occasionally if you are me," she babbled.

Luke smiled a little and cut her off by kissing her gently. He took her hand and said in a hoarse voice, "You keep thinking like you'd think."

"I can do that," she said with a relieved smile. "Do you want to come in? You can get drunk just standing next to the punch bowl," she said with an enticing smile.

"No, I'm still kinda…" he said with a shrug.

"I get it," she assured him.

"I just didn't want us to…" he said nervously.

"We're not," she told him firmly.

"Yeah, you go have a good time," he said with a nod.

"See you tomorrow?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah, you'll see me tomorrow," he answered as he leaned in to kiss her again. He squeezed her hand as he stepped back and turned to walk away. Lorelai pulled her coat closed firmly and watched him go with a sad smile on her face, wishing she knew what to do to help him. She turned slowly and walked back into the studio.

XXXX

After leaving Lorelai at Miss Patty's, Luke just kept walking until he found himself back at her house. He approached the garage cautiously, staying back from the boat, close to the wall as he switched on the lights. He looked down at the boat his Dad had started building thirty five years before, his breath whooshing from his lungs as he brushed away a cobweb. He reached out and touched it for the first time in years, gripping the smooth wood with his fingers as he wrapped his other hand around it too, clinging to it as he let the memories flood back. He remembered handing his Dad tools as he worked on the hull. He remembered hours spent by his father's side as they sanded the decking. He remembered the triumph on his father's face when he hauled home the old wheel he had found at a flea market, talking about refinishing it and using it on his boat. He remembered the hours spent at his father's beside as they would talk about their next steps in completing the boat, and the sound of his Dad's weak voice as he talked about where they would sail her to. He planned to name her after Luke's mother, knowing that she would have been proud of what he and their son had built together, not only with wood and nails, but with hours spent talking and dreaming.

Luke hauled an old crate over to the side of the boat and climbed up onto it. He swung his leg over the side and stood on the deck for the first time in over eighteen years. As he looked around he felt his knees buckle a little under the weight of the memories and sat down in the center of the boat. He trailed his fingers through the dust covering the smooth old wood, and for the first time in years, felt something other than overwhelming sadness when he thought of his Dad. He turned, and leaned up against the side of the boat as he tipped his head back and whispered, "Have you seen her? Isn't she great?" He chuckled at himself a little as he clasped his fingers in his lap and said, "I'm sure you have. You always knew everything, even when I didn't want you to." Absently, he began to trace an 'L' in the dust next to him as he though about what his Dad would think of Lorelai. "She's great, Dad," he said softly. "Strong, and smart and beautiful," he told him. "So full of life and happiness, a lot like Mom," he said with a nod. He took a deep breath and muttered, "Don't know what she sees in a cranky old bastard like me, but apparently she sees something," he finished dryly. He started drawing a little heart around the 'L' and said, "She saved this for me, and I yelled at her. I yell at her, and she apologizes to me. Can you believe that?" he asked. He smiled and chuckled and said, "Me either."

He didn't know how long he sat there amongst the dust and cobwebs, but he knew it had been a while. Finally, he stood up, swung is leg over the side and stepped down onto the crate. He jumped down, brushing the dust from his hands and from his jeans. He turned and took another look at the boat before he rapped the wood softly with his knuckles and said, "Thanks for the talk. See you later." He turned out the garage light and pulled the doors closed as far as they would go. As he started down the driveway, he looked up at her house and saw that the living room lamp was still lit, but the rest of the house was dark. Figuring that she was still at the party, he slowly walked home.

He entered the darkened diner, and moved toward the stairs by the light coming from the stairway. When he turned to climb the stairs he saw Lorelai sitting on the top step with her arms wrapped around her knees. She looked up, startled by his sudden appearance. "Oh, hi," she said with a nervous giggle.

"Hi," he said as he climbed the stairs. He stopped in front of her and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I thought, I thought you were in there," she said as she jerked her head toward the apartment door.

"I was at your place, actually," he admitted.

"Really?" she asked looking up at him.

He nodded and said, "I wanted to take a look at the boat."

She nodded and said, "Oh, I see."

"Do you want to come in?" he asked.

She looked up at him uncertainly and asked, "Do you want me to?"

Luke simply smiled and held out a hand to help her up. She stood on the step above him, watching his face with concern. He kissed her softly and said, "You never told me what you were doing here."

"Waiting for your dark day to be over," she said with a shrug.

Luke blinked and asked, "You didn't knock?"

"I didn't want to bother you," she answered.

"So you were just going to sit here for how long?" he asked as he nudged her to get her to head up to the apartment.

Lorelai bent down and picked up the cup that had been sitting next to her. "As long as it took," she answered, straightening up and looking him in the eye. She turned and walked up the top two stairs, waiting for him to unlock the door. When he motioned for her to precede him into the dimly lit apartment she said, "I brought you a cup of punch. I figured one cup of this stuff is enough to drown anyone's sorrows," she said with a shaky smile. Luke stood still next to the table, staring at her. Lorelai sighed and whispered, "Don't be mad."

Luke shook his head and said, "I'm not mad." He took the cup from her hand, walked over to the sink and poured it down the drain. He turned back to her, holding onto the countertop as he leaned back against it and said, "I have everything I need." He lifted his eyes to hers slowly, letting her see the mixture of pain and relief there in their dark blue depths.

"Luke," she said softly, taking an involuntary step toward him but stopping short.

"Thank you," he said in a voice choked with emotion. He cleared his throat and said, "I think I forgot to say that before. Thank you for saving my Dad's boat. Thank you for caring enough about me to save me from me," he said gruffly. "Thank you for sitting on my step, waiting for me," he said as he gestured toward the door. He blinked and asked, "Were you going to wait all night?"

"I would have, if I needed to," she said with a shrug. "It made me a little nervous, how quiet it was in here," she admitted. "It never occurred to me that you weren't home. I had decided to wait until midnight before I knocked, that way it wouldn't actually be, you know, the day," she explained.

Luke nodded slowly, his jaw working furiously as he tried to swallow down the tears that threatened. "You are amazing," he said in a raspy whisper.

Lorelai took another step toward him and asked, "Is that good amazing, or the 'I can't believe she's so pushy,' kind of amazing?"

Luke shook his head and said, "Just amazing. In every way," he added with a chuckle. He pushed off from the counter and closed the distance between them in one step, wrapping his arms around her tightly and pressing his face to her hair as she hugged him tightly.

"Oh, Luke, I'm so sorry you're sad," she whispered as she reached up to remove his cap and toss it to the table. She held onto him as she began to stroke his hair soothingly. She felt rather than heard the strangled sob that was caught in his chest, and turned her head to kiss his rough cheek. "Oh, Hon," she murmured as he held her tighter.

"You should go home," Luke said in a rough voice.

"I'm not going anywhere," she told him stubbornly.

"I'm not good company," he said with a bitter laugh.

Lorelai smiled and said, "I hate to break this to you, but you're not really the yuk a minute guy on your best days."

Luke couldn't help but smile at her assessment, but sobered quickly as he said, "I hate that you're seeing me like this."

Lorelai pulled back and ducked her head to get him to look at her. "Luke, I hate that you're sad. I really do," she said as she caressed his cheek. "But, in a way, I like to see you, I don't know, expressing that, I guess," she tried to explain. When he frowned in confusion she said, "You're so buttoned up all of the time, so hard to read. The only emotions you ever let anyone see are anger and frustration," she said gently. She took a deep breath and shrugged a little as she told him, "It always comes as a surprise when you let me see something else."

Luke nodded and bit his lip as he looked into her eyes. He glanced down and cleared his throat as he said, "How about this?" He looked up at her nervously and said, "I love you, Lorelai."

"Oh Luke," she said as she pulled him close, hugging him tightly to her. "Luke," she whispered again as she pulled back and found his lips with hers, kissing him passionately. She framed his face with her hands and whispered, "Oh God, I'm crazy about you." She rained kisses over his cheeks and jaw.

Luke smiled and said, "Then again, maybe you're just crazy. You'd have to be to be with a guy like me."

Lorelai smiled brightly, unable to contain the giddy rush of pleasure his words had given her. "You've been telling me that for years, long before I ever got my hands on you."

"True," Luke conceded.

She reached up and stroked his cheek again, watching as he closed his eyes and leaned into her caress. "Can I stay here with you tonight?" she asked.

Luke nodded and said, "If you want."

"I want," she said with a nod. She took his hand and said, "Come on, let's get ready for bed."

"Okay," he said as he followed her to the bathroom. "I got you a toothbrush too," he said gruffly.

Lorelai smiled over her shoulder and said, "Copycat."

Luke shrugged and said, "Seemed like the thing to do." He looked around the bedroom and said, "Your shirt is hanging on the back of the closet door."

"My shirt?" she asked.

Luke looked at her pointedly and said, "The one you stole. I noticed that you pick the same one every time."

Lorelai smiled at him as she walked to the closet to retrieve it and said, "It matches my eyes."

"Yes, it does," Luke agreed as he turned the water on in the sink.

While he brushed his teeth Lorelai changed into the flannel she liked to sleep in and padded into the bathroom, grinning when she saw the sparkly pink toothbrush in his holder. She held it up and said, "This had better be mine, and not your backup, otherwise we need to have a whole other talk."

"It's yours," he said as he dried his face and hands on the hand towel hanging on the bar. He kissed her temple and went back into the bedroom to change while she got ready for bed.

When she came out, the lights were all off except for the lamp beside the bed. Luke brought them each a glass of water, placing hers on the nightstand on her side before walking around to his side and pulling the covers back. They settled into the bed, with Lorelai resting her head on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart as she toyed with his fingers. "Tell me about your Dad," she said softly.

"What about him?" he asked, glancing down at her.

Lorelai shrugged and said, "Anything. What was he like? What did you guys do or talk about?"

Luke chuckled and said, "Well, believe it or not, my Dad was not much of a talker."

"No," she gasped in mock disbelief.

Luke was quiet for a moment and then he said, "Well, there was this one time…"

"Yeah?" she prompted as he paused.

Luke smiled at the memory and said, "This one time, he sat me down when I was about eleven or twelve, and gave me 'the talk.'

"The talk?" she asked glancing up at him.

"The talk," he answered with a nod. "The talk about girls."

"Oh, that talk," she said with a grin. "How'd that go?" she asked as she rubbed her cheek against the soft cotton of his t-shirt.

Luke laughed and said, "About as you might expect." He took a deep breath and said, "You see, it was all Tim Mulligan's fault."

"Was Tim Mulligan a girl?" she asked with a frown.

"No, Tim was my friend, who dared me to kiss Sarah Bell behind Doose's Market," he explained.

"Ah, I see," she said with a grin.

"Yeah, well, I did, and apparently Sarah wasn't too thrilled about it, and told her Mom," he explained.

"She didn't like it?" Lorelai asked as she lifted her head and looked up at him.

Luke smirked and said, "Well, I probably wasn't very good at it then, I hadn't had any practice."

Lorelai nodded and said, "Go on."

"So, Mrs. Bell called my Dad and told him what I did. I tried to explain to him that it was Tim's fault, that he dared me to do it," Luke said with long forgotten indignation.

Lorelai gasped and asked in mock horror, "Did you get a whipping?"

Luke looked at her pointedly and said, "Yes. And the talk," he added darkly.

"Oh God," she giggled as she buried her nose in his chest, trying to smother her delight in the picture that had formed in her head.

"I'm glad that you're so tickled by this," Luke said with a laugh.

"I'm sorry," she gasped. "Go on, tell me the rest," she urged as she looked up at him with a broad smile.

Luke shook his head and pressed her head back to his chest so that she couldn't look at him. "Okay, so, my Dad, was much better at the butt kicking part than the talking part," he continued. "He sat me down, and made doubly sure that I knew all about the birds and the bees. Asking me over and over if I had any questions," he said gesturing with his hand. "I'm pretty sure we were simultaneously praying for the floor to open up and swallow us," he said with a chuckle.

"He did a good job. You sure know your stuff now," she teased.

Luke laughed and said, "Thanks, but I'm not sure he would want the credit for that." He took a deep breath, smiling at the memory and said, "He did tell me this. He said that as far as kissing girls goes, it's best to wait to kiss them until you're pretty sure that they want to kiss you back."

"Good advice," Lorelai said with a nod.

"Yeah," Luke agreed. He looked down at her and said, "I just don't think he meant for me to wait for eight years."

Lorelai looked up at him and said, "Maybe he just meant to wait until the time was right."

"Maybe," Luke agreed softly.

"It was," she told him. "It was so right."

Luke nodded and said, "I think so too," as he ducked his head to kiss her gently.

Lorelai glanced over at the clock and said, "Okay, twenty two more minutes. Tell me another story," she ordered as she settled back onto his chest.

Luke chuckled as he ran his fingers through her hair and said, "He would have loved you." He smiled and said, "He was a big flirt, loved to chat up the ladies. There were several who made it clear that they were interested after my Mom died, but he had no interest in anyone else," he said with a sad shake of his head. "I used to wonder if maybe he should have remarried, if maybe he would have been happier or lived longer or whatever," he said softly. "But, I don't think so. She was his everything. He loved my Mom until the day he died," he said quietly.

Lorelai pressed her lips to his beating heart and said, "That's nice. To have that, a love like that. Most people don't get that, they were lucky."

"Yeah," Luke said as he tightened his arm around her. "Sometimes you get lucky that way."


	7. Highly Questionable

**Highly Questionable**

Lorelai stopped dead in her tracks as she closed her cell phone and stared at the ice rink that now occupied her front lawn. She looked up and saw Luke walking toward her with skates in his hand. "What is this?" she asked incredulously.

"It's an ice rink," he answered as he crossed the yard.

"An ice rink? How did this happen?" she asked in disbelief.

"Jack Frost brought it," he said dryly.

"Does he look like Luke Danes?" she teased.

"A little. Not as handsome," he answered with a smirk.

"You made me an ice rink?" she asked, dumbfounded.

Luke gestured with his free hand as he held her skates in the other and said, "It's just a rink in a box. You set it up, you fill it with water, it's not a big deal," he said casually.

"It is a big deal. It's a very big deal," she insisted.

Luke hands her the skates, and said, "Here. Try it out."

They sat on the bench he had placed beside the rink and Lorelai began to put on her skates. "My dad did this for me once. I was in a hockey phase," Luke told her. "'Till I broke my nose the first time. Skated right into a tree," he added with a smirk.

"What in the world inspired you to do this?" she asked as she looked over at him.

Luke shrugged a little and said, "Well, I felt kind of bad about you and snow, the rough time you were having, and I really wasn't helping any by saying all that stuff about snow being a pain and impractical, and it's just icy water falling from the sky. He sighed and said, "And I thought maybe I'd get you two back together. Make you feel better about snow again."

"Oh, yeah?" she asked, still awed by the gesture.

"I'm grumpy about stuff but I don't want you to be," Luke told her firmly.

Lorelai held out her hand to him and he helped her up from the bench, steadying her as he said, "Careful."

"I'm being careful," she said as she stumbled and hung on to him with a giggle. She looked up at him, her hand splayed over his shoulder and said, "Thanks for reconciling us."

Luke gave her an affectionate look and said, "Any time." He paused as he pulled back to look into her eyes and said, "You were lying this morning."

"What?" she asked quickly, her heart hammering in her chest.

Luke shook his head and said, "You said you were fine but you didn't look it. You get sick or something last night?" he asked worriedly.

"No. No, I just had a headache," she said with a wince. "Still do," she said with a nervous laugh. "Just one of those things," she assured him.

"Yeah, I get headaches. I just feel bad," he said sincerely.

Lorelai glanced away as she said, "That's all it was, a headache." She turned from his probing gaze and said excitedly, "I love this ice rink!"

"Try it out," Luke encouraged as he helped her step onto the ice.

Lorelai gigged as she started to skate unsteadily across the ice. "Oh, it's great!" she cried.

"Keep away from trees," Luke warned as he watched her wobble along.

Lorelai tried to move backward across the ice as she said, "Ah, I look like a dork but I love it."

"You look fine," Luke assured her.

She turned around and asked, "You want to be Randy to my Tai?"

"Nah, I'll just watch," he said with wave as he stood on guard, ready to help her if she fell.

Lorelai skated around the rink happily for a moment, trying to put that fact that she had lied to him out of her mind. She turned and glided awkwardly toward him, and Luke put his arms out to catch her at the edge. She smiled up at him and said, "This is the most wonderful thing anyone has ever done for me."

Luke chuckled and said, "I find that hard to believe."

"No, Luke, really. I can't believe you did this for me," she said as she searched his eyes.

"Well, I didn't want you and snow to fight anymore. That was scary," he teased.

She kissed him softly and said, "You are an incredible man, Luke Danes."

Luke kissed her again and shook his head a little. "Go, skate," he urged.

"I feel weird with you just standing there watching me," she said with a giggle.

"I like to watch you," he said as he brushed her hair back affectionately. "You're nice to look at," he teased.

"Will you skate with me sometime?" she asked, throwing in a hair flip for good measure.

Luke smiled at her tactics and said, "Sure."

"I don't deserve this," she said softly.

Luke scoffed and said, "Sure you do."

"No, I've been just, ugh, lately," she said struggling to work up the nerve to tell him about the night before.

"Well, you haven't felt good," he said gently. "That and you thought your old friend was turning on you," he said with a nod. "That's enough to make anyone feel a little off," he said with a shrug.

"What is this?" Rory called from the driveway.

Lorelai turned to her with an overly bright smile and said, "My perfect boyfriend built me an ice rink!"

"Aw, man, he is perfect," Rory said with a grin.

Luke shook his head and said, "I have to go. I need to get back to the diner and you guys are about to gang up on me," he said gruffly.

"No, stay," Lorelai said with a pout.

Luke shook his head and said, "I've already been messing with this most of the day, trying to get it ready. I really need to get back." He glanced over at Rory and said, "Besides, you guys are having your movie night tonight."

"Yeah, but you can join us," Lorelai told him.

"Not this time. Besides, you're still not feeling too great," he said worriedly. "Try to get some sleep tonight, okay? Don't stay up too late," he cautioned sternly.

"We won't," she promised with a pout.

"I'll make sure she's in bed by ten," Rory said with a nod.

"I'll call and check on you," Luke said as he squeezed her hand and stepped back.

"You do that," Lorelai said with a nod.

He kissed her quickly and said, "See ya, Rory," as he gave her a shy wave and walked off down the drive.

Lorelai stumbled back to the bench and collapsed on it heavily as she gasped, "Oh, my God, oh, my God! What am I going to do?" she implored Rory in a whisper.

"About what?" Rory whispered back as she sat down next to her mother.

"About this, about him," Lorelai said gesturing helplessly as Luke disappeared from view.

"What about Luke?" Rory asked with a frown.

"I lied, Rory! I lied to him this morning!" Lorelai cried burying her face in her hands. "Oh, God, I lied to him and he built me this," she said as she held her hands out to the rink. "I lied to him and he did the single most romantic thing any man has ever done for me," she said sadly. She turned to her daughter and said, "He built me this to help me make up with snow after the fight we've been having."

"Aw!" Rory said as she finally understood.

"And I lied to him!" Lorelai said as she bent over and started unlacing her skates angrily.

Rory watched her mother worriedly and said, "Well, technically, you didn't, I did."

Lorelai rolled her eyes and said, "Doesn't matter who said what. What matters is that I didn't tell him the truth about where I was last night!" Lorelai said as she shoved her feet back into her boots. "I'm a horrible girlfriend! I have the most incredible guy in the world, sweet, caring, and he loves me, Rory," Lorelai said clutching her hands to her heart. "He told me that he loves me and I lied to him," she said incredulously.

"Well, you weren't doing anything wrong," Rory said adamantly.

"I know that, but by not telling Luke, I made it wrong," Lorelai said as she pushed herself up from the bench and stood staring at the rink with her hands on her hips. "Oh, God, I really don't deserve him," she said sadly.

"Come on," Rory said as she tugged on her mother's arm. "Let's go in where it's warm and talk this out," she encouraged.

As they walked up the steps, Lorelai glanced back over her shoulder and said, "Look what he did, Rory."

"I know, I know," Rory said with a nod as she pulled her mother to the door. She led her into the living room and they both dropped to the couch still wearing their coats. Lorelai reached up tiredly and dragged the hat from her head as she closed her eyes wincing with physical and emotional pain. Rory watched her carefully and then said, "This is all my fault."

"No, kid, it isn't," Lorelai answered without opening her eyes.

"It is, I told you to go over to Dad's," Rory insisted.

Lorelai shook her head sadly and looked over at her daughter as she said, "No, Hon, you forget, I had already bought the tequila and was on my way there."

"But I encouraged it, and then I covered it up this morning," Rory said sadly. "You were about to tell him and I cut you off," she said as she shook her head. "I just didn't want Luke to get upset," she said sincerely. "You told me how upset he was about the lunch thing, and I," she trailed off, her hand dropping to her lap helplessly.

"Wanted to protect him," Lorelai said with a nod. "I know," she said softly. She looked over at Rory and asked, "You know I would never want to do anything that would hurt Luke, right?" She turned in her seat and said, "I mean, you know that last night nothing happened that would have been remotely inappropriate," she assured her daughter.

"I know that," Rory said sincerely. She thought for a moment and then said, "Mom, I really think that Luke doesn't need to know about this. It's like when I wanted to tell Dean about kissing Tristan. At this point it would only make you feel better and Luke feel worse," she concluded.

"But I didn't kiss your Dad!" Lorelai said curling her hands in frustration. She looked over at Rory's shocked expression and said quickly, "Oh, Hon, I'm sorry. You know that I didn't mean that. I'm just so frustrated because I didn't do anything to feel bad about, and now I feel like the lowest of the low. Lower than that," she added sincerely as she looked at her daughter's hurt expression. "I'm sorry," she whispered again.

Rory shook her head and said, "Its okay. I know you didn't really mean it like that."

"I didn't," Lorelai assured her.

Rory was quiet for a moment and then said, "Well, you can't say anything now. Not when he's done that," she said gesturing toward the window.

"I know," Lorelai groaned as she pushed her hands into her hair and tugged on it in frustration.

"Maybe if you wait a couple of weeks, let some time go by between the ice rink and the confession. Just tell him about it casually. Oh, I know," she said as she turned to her mother. "I was there the whole time," she said firmly holding out her hands for emphasis.

Lorelai shook her head and said, "Hon, if I'm gonna tell him, I have to tell him the truth. Otherwise, what's the point?" she asked.

"I know," Rory said disappointedly as she sat back and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'll figure it out," Lorelai assured her as she patted Rory's knee. She sighed and asked, "Would you mind if I skip the movie night? I really just want a hot bath," she said tiredly.

"Oh, sure, no problem," Rory said with a nod.

"Thanks, kid," Lorelai said as she pushed herself up with a groan. "Maybe I'll feel like it after my bath," she said hopefully as she shrugged of her coat and dropped it over the chair.

"We'll see," Rory answered. "Go. Go soak," she said with a wave of her hand.

Lorelai dragged herself up the stairs and started a bath running while she slowly undressed. She sank down into the steaming bubbles and pressed her hands to her eyes as she whispered, "Do not screw this up. You can't screw this up." She opened her eyes and looked blankly around the bathroom as the tears gathered in her eyes. "Oh please, don't let me screw this up," she murmured as she choked back a sob. She gave in to the urge and let herself have a nice little cry as she soaked in the tub. When her hands and feet began to prune, she pushed herself up and stepped from the bath, drying herself quickly with a towel that still smelled faintly of Luke. She wrapped her fluffy robe around her naked body and stumbled in to the bedroom, collapsing on the bed in a heap of terry cloth. She buried her face in his pillow, breathed in the scent of him and whispered, "I am not going to screw this up," she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

It could have been minutes or it could have been hours later that she heard the phone ring distantly. She stirred as she heard Rory's soft footsteps on the stairs. "Mom?" Rory whispered outside of her door.

"Yeah?" Lorelai answered hoarsely.

"It's Luke," Rory said softly as she poked her head in the door and waved the phone at her. "You want me to tell him you're asleep?" she whispered.

Lorelai shook her head as she struggled to sit up and pushed her hair from her face. She smiled quickly at Rory as she took the phone and said, "Hey," in a soft voice as Rory closed the door behind her.

"Hey, I told her not to wake you," Luke said apologetically.

"No, I was awake," Lorelai told him as she tucked her hair behind her ear,

"I hope you're not coming down with something," Luke said worriedly. "Does your stomach hurt? Or your throat?" he asked.

"No, Hon, I'm fine," she assured him. "Just one of those days," she said with a sad smile.

"Do you want me to bring you anything?" he asked.

"You're sweet, but no," she said softly.

"I hate that you feel bad," he said gruffly.

Lorelai bit her lip for a moment and then said, "I do too. I'll feel better soon."

"Get some sleep," he said gently.

"Hey Luke?" she asked.

"Yeah?" he answered.

"That Jack Frost, he's one hell of a guy," she said with a tremulous smile.

Luke smiled and said, "I'll tell him you said so."

"Do that," she replied with a nod.

"I'll see you in the morning," he said tenderly.

"See you in the morning," she whispered. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," he answered as they hung up.


	8. Nothing Says Home Like Blue Manicotti

**Nothing Says Home Like Blue Manicotti**

Luke was already in bed as Lorelai finished up in the bathroom. He propped his head on the crook of his arm and said, "I will never, under any circumstances, no matter how short a dress you put on, go back to Al's Pancake World ever, ever again."

"Aw, you didn't like your manicotti?" Lorelai called from the bathroom.

"That was not manicotti, it was square and flat and blue," he said with a shudder.

Lorelai finished putting her moisturizer and toothbrush back on the shelf Luke had installed in the bathroom and called, "Yeah. Manicotti's rarely blue." She switched off the light and walked out of the bathroom, lifting the covers and settling into bed next to him.

Luke turned to look at her and said hesitantly, "You know, I've been thinking, uh, maybe I shouldn't go to this thing of your parents'."

Lorelai gasped and asked, "First Al's Pancake World, and now my parents vow renewal?"

Luke shot her a look and said gruffly, "I'm serious. I'm not really their favorite person. They don't really want me there."

"Hey, I'm not their favorite person either, and I still have to go," Lorelai said in an injured tone.

Luke sighed and said, "I know, it's just, it's going to be this big fancy thing with all their friends. And, you know, I just…" he trailed off helplessly.

Lorelai smiled gently and said, "Listen. My parents are very weird people. They don't hate you. They just don't know you. This is the perfect opportunity. They'll be happy. They'll be smashed. You show up, shake some hands, get in a few family pictures, and before you know it my mother will be trying to convince you you're too good for me," she cajoled. When Luke sighed she prodded him saying, "Come on, it'll be fun. Good food. Open bar. I'm wearing a fabulous dress and as maid of honor, if you're not there, I'll have to get drunk and make out with the best man. Who is Rory, so you can see all the creepy ramifications of your absence here," she teased.

"Okay," he muttered in defeat.

"Okay?" she asked hopefully. When Luke nodded she said, "Okay," with a decisive nod. She looked up and gasped when she saw a small television sitting on the table at the foot of the bed. "Hey! You got a TV!" she said gesturing to it as she sat up.

"Oh. Yeah," Luke said as he sat up too.

Lorelai turned to look at him and asked, "Since when did you get a TV?"

Luke shrugged and said, "I just picked it up this morning."

Lorelai turned to look at him affectionately and asked, "What about your REM sleep?"

Luke settled back against the pillows again and said, " Hey, twice a week you're going to bed at 9:30 like a 72-year-old woman because I have early deliveries, so I figured the least I could do is make sure you don't miss your Charlie Rose or your Patrick Stewart…" he said gruffly.

"Jon Stewart," Lorelai corrected as she looked at the television and back at him with a smirk.

Luke continued, "And plus, I can sleep through anything. Once I'm out, I'm out."

Lorelai chuckled and said, "Oh, I know."

"So, here," he said as he handed her the remote control. "Enjoy," he told her with a nod as she settled back against her pillows again with the remote in hand.

Lorelai turned on the television and glanced over at him, feeling a sharp pang of guilt as she murmured, "You are too good for me."

"Well, maybe I'll meet a nice girl at your parents' wedding," Luke teased as he turned over and turned off the lamp. He settled into his pillow with a smirk of his own as Lorelai shot him a glare, which melted into an affectionate smile as she reached over to stroke his back before turning her attention to the television.

A few minutes later, she noticed that his breathing had not grown deep and even as it normally did. She looked over at him and whispered, "Not out?"

"Nah, not yet," he mumbled.

"Is this bothering you?" she asked with a worried frown.

Luke shook his head a little, but kept his eyes closed as he said, "No, just thinking about some stuff I need to get done tomorrow." Lorelai nodded as she glanced back up at the television and then back at him. He heard the sound go off and the sound of the remote hitting the nightstand and opened his eyes a bit. "You don't have to turn it off," he said as she curled up behind him.

"Its okay," she said as he rubbed her cheek against the soft cotton covering his back, running her hand over his hip distractedly as she got comfortable. "Go to sleep," she whispered, her hot breath seeping through the thin material of his shirt.

A minute later, Luke said in a husky voice, "Keep rubbing me like that and I'll never get to sleep."

"Oh, sorry," she said with a giggle as she yanked her hand from his hip and placed it on her own. Luke smiled as he reached back, grasped her wrist and placed her hand back on his hip, moving it over his sweats they way she had been doing. "I don't want to mess up your REM sleep," she whispered as she pressed her lips to his t-shirt clad back.

"You're not messing anything up," he said with a half smile as he placed his hand back up near his chest.

Lorelai smiled as he kept stroking his hip gently, letting her fingers trail down over his thigh and back up to the sensitive hollow inside of his hipbone. Luke drew a long deep breath and sighed happily as he exhaled, causing her to grow a little more daring with her tender caresses. As she slid her hand up, her fingers slipped under his t-shirt, grazing his warm skin before they slid back down. On her next trip over his hip, she let her fingers dip down before pulling them back up over the firm curve of his ass. Luke smiled into his pillow and asked gruffly, "What are you doing?"

"Soothing you to sleep," she answered with a grin.

Luke chuckled and said, "Ah, that's what this is."

"You want me to stop?" she asked softly.

"Hell no," he grunted.

Lorelai smiled as she pressed her lips to his shoulder and said, "This is nice."

"Yeah," he answered as he moved to turn onto his back.

Lorelai placed her hand on his arm and said, "No, stay there."

"What? Why?" he asked with a frown.

"I like this. Just laying here touching you," she murmured as she leaned up to nuzzle the soft curls at the nape of his neck. "I never get to just touch you," she whispered. "You're always distracting me," she said with a grin.

"You can still touch me if I turn over," Luke pointed out.

"Yeah, but if you turn over, you'll look at me, and start to touch me, and then it's all over for me," she said as she kissed his neck.

"How do you figure?" he asked.

"Oh, you know, you'll look at me with that hot look in those blue, blue eyes, wrap these big strong arms around me, and kiss me," she murmured as she ran her hand over his bicep. "Touch me with these long fingers," she said as she ran her hand down his arm and over his hand lacing her fingers through his as she leaned over his shoulder.

"And that's bad?" he asked in a deep voice.

She leaned closer to his ear and said, "No, that's good. That's very, very good," she said in a breathy voice. She began to slide her hand slowly back up his arm and said, "The problem is, when you do that, it makes me crazy." She let her fingernails drag along his forearm in teasing swirling circles as she made her way back up. "It makes me want more," she told him in a whisper. "More of your hands on me, more of your kisses, more of feeling you pressed up against me, in me," she added in a soft voice.

"Lorelai," Luke said with a groan.

"And I get distracted," she continued as she let her hand trail up over his shoulder. "I forget to take my time, appreciate the view, stop and smell the Luke," she said with a grin as she pressed her nose to his neck and breathed in his scent.

"Lorelai," he tried again.

"Shh, just give me a minute," she whispered as she kissed his neck softly. "Please?" she asked before she drew the soft skin into her mouth and sucked gently.

"Okay," he said as he exhaled with a whoosh of air.

She ran her nails through his hair and said, "I think that you're wonderful. Did you know that?" She ran her hand down over his neck, and watched him shiver slightly a chill ran up his spine. "You make me laugh every day," she murmured as she stroked his back. "You take care of me, and support me, and sacrifice your precious REM sleep for me," she said as she slipped her hand under the hem of his shirt and flattened her palm on the warm soft skin. "I appreciate everything that you do," she said sincerely. "I know you don't want to come to this thing, but you will because I need you there," she said as she rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. "Please don't meet any nice girls," she said softly. "I know I'm not so good, but I'm not that bad am I?" she asked with a grimace.

"You're perfect," he answered gruffly.

"No, not perfect," she said sadly as she kissed his shoulder and let her hand slide around to stroke the soft curls covering his stomach. "Far, far from perfect," she said with a rueful chuckle. "You deserve a much nicer girl than me," she said as she pressed her forehead to his shoulder.

Luke smiled and said gruffly, "Don't like the nice girls, there's no challenge."

Lorelai smiled and said, "And I am nothing if not challenging."

"True," he said teasingly. "Lots and lots of work, remember?"

"I hope it's worth it to you," she said as she nipped at the curve of his shoulder.

"Totally worth it," he answered sincerely. "Can I roll over now?" he asked impatiently.

"Promise to keep those hands to yourself?" she asked.

"No," he said in a gruff tone.

"Want me to tie them to the headboard?" she asked teasingly.

"No," he said as he barked a laugh.

"But I'm not done," she murmured.

"You're killing me," he groaned.

"Excited?" she breathed into his ear.

Luke reached for her hand and slid it down into his sweats, wrapping her fingers around his hard cock as he asked, "What do you think?"

"Maybe a little," she said with a smile.

"Have been since you curled up behind me," he said in a raspy voice as her hand started to stroke him. "That's what you do to me," he growled as he traced his fingers over her forearm as she stroked him.

Lorelai smiled and said, "Maybe you're just easily aroused."

Luke smiled and said, "By you."

"All this for me?" she said with a soft gasp.

Luke smiled at her tone and said, "Every bit of it."

"Every inch of it?" she teased.

"You were being sweet," he chastised. "Go back to the sweet," he reminded her.

"Well, it's hard, uh, dirty, to be sweet when you give me a handful of this," she said as she ran her fingers over the head of his cock. "You know I can't resist," she murmured as she slowly withdrew her hand from his sweats and ran it up over his stomach. She raked her nails over his chest and said, "It makes me bad, and you like the bad girls, apparently," she teased as she nipped at his ear.

"Apparently," he answered distractedly.

"I'm so happy," she murmured in his ear. "I want you to know that. I've never been this happy with anyone," she told him sincerely.

"I'm happy too," he told her as he covered her hand with his and pressed it to his beating heart.

Lorelai hugged him tightly and said, "Funny, huh, you and me? I can't get over how good it is," she told him.

Luke smiled and said, "Yeah, it's funny."

Lorelai kissed his neck again and whispered, "You can roll over now."

Luke quickly rolled to his back, looping his arm around her and pulling her to his chest. He hugged her to him and then reached up to cradle her face in his hand as he kissed her with sweet determination. Lorelai framed his face with her hands as she held him there, savoring the taste of him. She nipped and teased his lips lightly with hers, brushing hem softly and letting her breath mingle with his. "Luke," she whispered into his mouth.

"Hmm?" he hummed distractedly as he cupped the back of her head and deepened the kiss, paring her lips with the tip of his tongue and outlining them lightly before touching hers teasingly. Lorelai tilted her head and parted her lips further, letting his tongue massage hers with slow sensual strokes.

She pulled back and looked down at him with heavily lidded eyes. "I need you," she whispered softly.

"You have me," he answered easily, blissfully unaware of the fear that ruled her now.

"I, I need to tell you something," she said hesitantly. She paused, drawing a deep breath, then biting her bottom lip and dropping her eyes as she worked up the nerve.

"Hey," Luke whispered as he tipped her chin up with his finger as that she would look at him. When her eyes met his he smiled happily at her and said, "Me too," as he lifted his head to kiss her tenderly.

"What?" she murmured as she drew back in confusion.

Luke ran his hand over her hair, and threaded his fingers into the curls as he said, "I feel the same way too." He pulled her back to him and kissed her passionately, those magical hands dancing over her, lifting the hem of his flannel and stroking her bottom through the silky panties she wore beneath.

"Oh, Luke," she said softly as he ducked his head to kiss her throat, sure that he should be able to feel the desire and panic coursing through her.

"I have to touch you Lorelai," he murmured against her skin. "I'll never get enough."

"Luke," she gasped as he slipped his hands into her panties, cupping her ass and kneading the flesh gently. He reached down and stroked the tender skin inside of her thighs and groaned softly as her legs parted for him.

Pulling her up higher on his chest, he let his long fingers tease and tickle the sensitive folds of her sex. "Oh God, never enough," he muttered as he parted her with the tip of one finger and felt the damp skin open for him. He gathered the flannel in the other hand, pushing it over her ribs and exposing her breasts. Lorelai moved back to strip the sleeves from her arms and pull it over her head, pressing his fingers deeper into her folds. Her eyes widened with shock for a moment, and then she moaned at the contact, gyrating against him. "Oh yeah," he said breathlessly as he pressed his finger into her heat. "Oh geez, Lorelai," he muttered as he heaved himself up off of the pillows, pressing his chest to hers, clamping her to him with one hand splayed over her bare back.

She closed her eyes as he moved his finger inside of her stroking her higher as she ground against his erection, which was still trapped in his sweats. Frantically, her fingers clawed at the elastic, desperate to pull them down, trying to work him free without making him stop the delicious torture he was inflicting on her. "Luke, Luke," she said raggedly. "Off," she demanded as she tugged at the elastic again.

Reluctantly, Luke withdrew his fingers and slid them back to the top of her panties, pushing them slowly over her hips as he looked up at her with eyes dazed with lust. "You don't know what you do to me," he murmured as she rose up to let him push them down. Lorelai reached down to push at them, kicking them down her legs and across the room with a careless flick of her foot. He looked at her with those burning blue eyes and said, "I need you too. I need you now. I'll need you tomorrow, and I'll probably still be needing you when I'm eighty."

"Luke," she said lovingly as she ran her hand over his rough cheek.

He jerked her chin at her and said, "Take them off," as he held his arms up for her.

Lorelai reached out and stripped the t-shirt up over his chest and whisked it over his head, tossing it aside as she pressed her hands to his shoulders, reveling in the taut play of his skin over his muscles. "God, you're beautiful," she breathed as she ran her hands over his muscular chest, watching them jump at her touch. She brushed her thumbs over his flat nipples, feeling them bead beneath her soft caress. She looked down at him as he held still, his hands resting patiently on her hips as she took her fill of him. She scraped her nails lightly over his abs, smiling as he jumped and shied away from the light tickling. Tucking her two index fingers into the waistband of his pants she let them slide teasingly to each side before she tugged on the elastic, pulling them down over his narrow hips. She moved back away from him, his hands trailing from her hips until they fell to his sides. He braced his palms against the mattress and lifted up, letting her pull them down and off, leaving them tangled with his boxers as she dropped them from the foot of the bed.

Lorelai looked at him waiting for her and crawled back to him. She pressed her lips to his softly, and pulled back to watch as his long dark lashes swept upward until their eyes met. She kissed him again with her eyes wide open and locked on his. "I want you to make love to me, Luke," she murmured against his lips. "I want you on top of me, in me, a part of me," she told him softly as she pulled back and stretched out on the bed. Her hair fanned out against the pillow as she reached her hand out to him.

Luke shook himself from his reverie and moved to take her hand, twining his fingers with hers as he covered her, pressing their joined hands to the pillow near her head. He looked down at her, slightly puzzled by the solemn expression on her face, as he positioned himself between her thighs. He cocked his head quizzically, and Lorelai blinked and smiled at him encouragingly. He smiled back as he pressed the tip of his cock to her entrance, sinking slowly into her warmth with a guttural groan. When he was fully sheathed in her, he pressed his weight into her as he shifted to rest on his elbows while Lorelai clung to his right hand tightly. "What's the matter?" he asked softly.

Lorelai shook her head slowly and said, "Nothing. Nothing is the matter. I have everything I want."

"So serious," he said with a teasing frown.

"So wrapped up in you," she answered in a choked voice.

Luke smiled slightly as he began to move inside of her, stroking her gently, gliding in and out of her heat smoothly. "Ditto," he said with a grin.

Lorelai giggled and pressed her closer with her free hand. "I'll ditto you," she threatened.

"Please do," he growled in her ear.

"Oh, Luke," she sighed happily. "You are the guy for me," she giggled.

"You bet I am," he said sternly as he began to move faster, squeezing her hand in his.

"You are," she assured him as she closed her eyes and tried to shut her mind down, giving herself over to the pleasure of feeling him inside of her.

"God, you feel good," he ground out.

"I was just thinking the same thing," she answered with a feline smile. "We should go to bed early every night."

Luke smiled as he pressed his eyes shut and said, "That way, when we actually are in our seventies, we'll be going to bed at two in the afternoon."

"That's okay," she said. She arched into him and whispered, "A little afternoon delight never hurt anyone."

"We might kill each other," he panted.

"As long as we go together," she answered as she squeezed his hand.

"Oh, Lorelai," he said raggedly.

"So good, Luke, we're so good," she moaned.

Luke thrust into her a little deeper and murmured, "Yes, we are." His eyes locked on hers as he drove into her faster, watching her climb. He moved steadily, never wavering in his determination to bring them to the end together. He could feel her tighten, coiling around him, squeezing him within her walls. His eyes rolled back slightly and closed as he fought for control. Forcing them back open he saw her watching him, her lips red and parted as she gasped softly, trying to catch her breath as he stroked her.

"Luke," she whispered on a moan.

"I'm with you," he answered.

"Luke," she cried a little louder.

"Oh yes," he hissed between clenched teeth as he felt her squeezing him. "Oh, yes, yes," he muttered helplessly as she spasmed around him, whimpering his name as her head thrashed against the pillow. "Lorelai," he sighed as he emptied into her. "My Lorelai," he whispered into her hair as he collapsed against her.

"Yes, your Lorelai," she murmured as she stroked his back, her fingertips dancing over the smooth skin. "All yours," she promised.

After a few minutes, their breathing slowed and Luke lifted his head to look at her with a puzzled frown. "You okay?" he asked.

"I'm great," she answered with a smile. "How about you? Gonna be able to sleep now?" she teased as he finally released her hand.

Luke smiled as he rolled over, pulling her over on top of him. "Yeah, I think that helped, thanks," he said dryly.

"Hey, that's what I'm here for," she said with a grin.

"Beats the crap out of a sleeping pill any day," Luke said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, right, Mr. I Don't Like to Take an Aspirin," she said with a snort.

"I'm glad you're feeling better," he said as he stroked her hair gently.

Lorelai stilled for a moment and then said lightly, "Yeah, well, I always feel better when I'm with you."

Luke smiled and kissed her forehead as he said, "Me too." He wiggled down on the pillow and cradled her next to him as he said, "Now, stop pawing me and go to sleep."


	9. Mo Badder Blues

**Mo Badder Blues**

_Go. Go! Go now! Get out! His brain screamed. You don't belong here. You don't belong with her. Go now, get out!_

"I've got to go," Luke said as he turned on his heel and headed straight for the ballroom. He skirted the tables, his eyes fixed on the red exit sign across the hall. The band was still playing. People were still laughing and dancing. The booze was still flowing. Two hundred plus people in this place, and no one knew that Luke Danes had just received a crushing blow. _Not that they'd care,_ he thought disdainfully. He hit the front door at full stride, sneering at the boy in the red jacket asking for his valet ticket. Luke pulled it from his suit pocket and growled, "Just gimme the key."

The young man stammered, "We're not supposed to…"

Luke turned on him, fire blazing in his eyes as he said in a low dangerous voice, "Give me my goddamned key!"

"Yes, sir," the boy said as he pulled the key to Luke's truck from the rack by the door.

Luke nodded as he handed it to him and muttered, "Sorry, man," as he jogged into the parking lot. He looked around wildly, knowing his truck would not be hard to spot in the sea of luxury sedans crowding the lot. He spotted it to the right and jogged to it, yanking the door open and throwing himself into the seat. Breathing heavily, he tried unsuccessfully to jam the key into the ignition with a trembling hand. He paused, drew in a deep breath whispered, "Okay, okay, breathe, breathe." He drew two more deep breaths and successfully inserted the key, twisting it until the truck roared to life under the weight of his foot on the accelerator. He gripped the steering wheel tightly as he looked up, trying to gather himself before he rammed the stick into reverse and pulled out of the spot. Grinding the gears mercilessly, he put it into first and peeled out of the parking lot with a squeal of tires that would have made his seventeen year old self proud.

"Idiot!" he muttered as he headed for the highway. "Who the fuck do you think you are?" he asked out loud. He ran his hand through his hair in frustration as his mind reeled. _You can't have her! She doesn't belong with you! Look at that place, look at those people, those aren't your kind of people, and you certainly are not theirs! Idiot! Christopher. It's always fucking Christopher. He's always there. Fucking things up and leaving a mess. Well, not me, I'm not part of his mess. It's for now, it's not forever, it's just for now. _Christopher's words bounced off of his skull. _How could you possibly think this was forever? Did you think that she would marry you? Did you think you'd start your happy little family there above the diner in your Dad's old office?_ he berated himself. _Girls like Lorelai don't end up with guys like you! They end up with guys like him, living up to their potential by learning to browbeat women's clubs out of using the salon for painting classes. Idiot! Did you really think this was forever? _he asked himself.

He felt the tears burning behind his eyes as he whispered, "Yes." He blinked rapidly trying to fight it back as he turned onto the highway and sped toward Stars Hollow. _Then, you're a fucking idiot,_ his brain taunted. _That's right, run home. Get home to your teeny tiny apartment above your teeny tiny diner in your teeny tiny town. Hole up and drink a beer, you are a nitwit after all! _He snorted at himself as he thought,_ Congratulations man, you finally gave your heart to the one person who could stomp it under her silver stiletto and wipe it off like the crap you know it is. _

"Lorelai didn't do this," he said to himself. _Lorelai didn't stop it. Lorelai stood there looking at you, trying to figure out if you would buy this load of crap like you bought that load about lunch, and the kid, and his dad dying,_ his brain screamed. _How many times does she have to lie to you? How many times is she going to run to his side before you figure out where you stand? You know she's been waiting for him! She has been for years! She told you that! Remember your good friend Mimi? _his mind screamed._ Did you think that all went away when you kissed her? Did you think that one night in your arms would make her give up what she's been waiting eighteen years for? Get a fucking grip, man! He was right! You aren't forever! You're just a nice guy she could mark time with. A warm body in bed, who will also fix her meals and her porch rail. A hell of a good deal for her! But, hey, you got to fuck her for a while, so that's something, right? _his brain taunted._ I mean, how often is a guy like you gonna get some of that action?_

The cell phone in his suit pocket vibrated against he pounding heart. He reached for it automatically, flinching when he read 'myhoneypie' on the display. He tossed it down on the seat beside him without answering. _Come back and get me, Luke. It didn't mean anything. Christopher was drunk. He was stupid. I don't know what he was talking about. Come to my house. You can regrout my tile while you feed me pie and then I'll suck you off and you'll forget this ever happened. It made Chris feel so much better the night his Dad died, _his mind sneered. "No, goddamn it!" he said in a harsh voice as he squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, swerving dangerously on the road.

The phone started buzzing again and his eyes cut to it. _Don't answer that. You can't talk to her. If you talk to her, she'll tell you what you want to hear,_ his brain reasoned. He turned his attention back to the road focusing intently on getting home alive. _Why? What does it matter? What are you getting home to? An exciting night of draining ketchup bottles? Hey, maybe this time, you'll actually get around to the worschestershire sauce,_ his brain mocked. When the phone began vibrating again he snatched it from the seat and pressed his thumb to the off button, holding it down tightly. _Fool, stupid lovesick fool, _he thought to himself. _You'd better hide. You know all she has to do is bat her eyes at you and you'll come running. You always have. You know that, she knows that, hell, everyone knows that. Pussy whipped idiot,_ he sneered at himself as he turned to enter Stars Hollow.

_Ah, almost home. Almost safe,_ he told himself. _But, where are you going to go? She'll be pounding on your door before the night is out. Wanting to talk, wanting to explain, wanting to apologize and to tell you her view of things, and wanting to tell you what your view of things should be. _He parked the truck in the alley behind the diner and stared through the windshield blankly. He wanted to hit someone, but unfortunately, he was the only one around to beat up. He glanced up at the back of the building and thought, _I can't go in there. I can't talk now. I can't see anyone. I can't explain. Oh God, I can't sleep in the bed she slept in. I can't. I can't,_ he thought as his head swam. _I can't do this. It's too hard._

He got out of the truck and looked up and down the alley. Skirting the side of the building he glanced down the sidewalk and saw the sign advertising tonight's showing of 'My Man Godfrey' at the Black and White and Read. He blinked as his brain registered that no one is supposed to talk at the movies. _No one, except Lorelai,_ he thought with snort. As he approached the front of the bookstore he realized that it would be perfect. _This would be the last place Lorelai would think to look for me._ He handed Kirk a buck without saying a word and walked straight into the store. The only open seat with no one nearby was the big red couch in the front. With his eyes fixed on the screen, he walked to it and dropped down, crossing his arms over his chest as he tried in vain to not think for just a little while.

XXXX

Lorelai stood in front of the Windsor Club, tapping her foot impatiently as she waited for her cab. The minute it pulled into the portico, she hopped in, giving the driver directions to Stars Hollow and agreeing to the extra ten bucks he wanted for deadheading back to Hartford. Her mind raced as she stared out of the window at the passing scenery without seeing it. She was no fool. She knew that Luke was angry, really angry. She knew he was from the moment that she blurted her confession about consoling Christopher the night his dad died. But he sucked it up and tried to put on a good show, offering Chris condolences on his loss while seething inside. She was a wreck. She had been since the moment she saw Chris walk into the reception. She knew that she was caught out. She knew that everything would blow up in her face. She just didn't know how bad it would be.

Christopher and his declarations had blindsided them both. Lorelai had been stunned speechless as he ranted on about how they were meant to be together. The only thing she had heard clearly was the word, 'Emily,' before it all clicked into place. She sucked in a deep breath as she tried not to think about her mother. _Luke, think about Luke, _she told herself. _He must be so hurt, so angry. Oh God, what have I done?_ _No, no, it'll be okay. Luke loves me. He told me that he loves me. I know that he loves me. We'll talk. He'll talk. He'll listen. He has to, he loves me,_ she thought as she flipped her phone open again and dialed his number. When his voicemail clicked on she sighed and said, "Luke, it's me again. Please call me. Please."

As she closed the phone she squeezed it tightly in her hand, mentally urging the driver to go faster, anxious to get home_. Home to Luke._ _It'll be okay. We love each other. He knows that. He knows that all of that stuff Christopher was spewing was just crap. It'll be okay. He just needs to cool down, get out of there, get away from those people, and get back to his world. Our world, _she corrected herself as she saw the 'Welcome to Stars Hollow' sign looming just ahead of them. She directed the driver to the square and had him drop her in front of the diner. She can hear the music Caesar was playing on the radio through the windows and knew that Luke couldn't possibly be there, but she knocked on the door anyway, hoping he'd have more of a clue than she did at the moment.


	10. The Way They Were

**The Way They Were**

Lorelai awoke from the dream slowly. She blinked and focused on the wall as her mind raced, moments from the past four months flickering through her head. All of the things she did say.

'_That's what happy sounds like. Luke.'_

'_You're very pretty', she told him. 'You're very crazy', he answered. She smiled and said, 'About you.'_

'_You're my friend, my boyfriend, my lover, you're everything all rolled up in one pretty package.'_

'_Yes, yes, your Lorelai. Yours, yours, only yours.'_

'_Sometimes I still can't believe it's me,' he told her. She answered simply, 'But it is.'_

'_Oh God, I'm crazy about you.'_

'_You are an incredible man, Luke Danes.'_

'_I think that you're wonderful. Did you know that? You make me laugh every day. You take care of me, and support me, and sacrifice your precious REM sleep for me. I appreciate everything that you do.'_

'_I want you to know that. I've never been this happy with anyone.' _

'_So wrapped up in you.'_

She blinked again, trying to process the words. There were so many words, but not the right words. She rolled onto her back and turned to see Rory resting on the pillow next to her.

"You slept," Rory said with a small sad smile.

"I guess," Lorelai said in a hoarse whisper.

"Feeling better?" she asked.

"Sure," Lorelai answered unconvincingly.

"No you're not," Rory said.

She blinked as the tears filled her eyes again and she said, "I never said it."

"What?" Rory asked with a concerned frown.

"I should have said it. I should have said something, anything," Lorelai said raggedly as the tears seeped from her eyes.

"Oh, Mom, I'm sorry. You wanted to tell him, and I said you shouldn't. We were wrong, I was wrong," Rory said sadly.

Lorelai shook her head and said, "No, not that. I never told him that I love him," she whispered. "I mean, I kind of did in a million different ways, but I didn't. I didn't actually say the words, 'Luke, I love you.' Even when he told me that he loved me," she said as her face crumpled. "Why didn't I tell him?" she asked brokenly. "Why couldn't I say it? It's Luke, Rory," she cried. "He is the one. I know he is. He's Luke. I would trust him with my life. Why?" she sobbed, burying her face into the pillow as her shoulders shook.

"Oh, Mom," Rory said as she wrapped her arm around her and pulled her close. "I'm sure he knows," she said softly.

"But I never said it. If I couldn't come out and say it," she said wiping her eyes furiously. "I lied to him, hid things from him, why should he believe me? Especially when I never even said the words," she said brokenly. "He said he was all in, and I never said anything until it was too late. Why should he believe me?" she asked as she took a huge gulping breath. She took two more deep breaths, trying to calm herself. She wiped her eyes with the heels of her hands again and asked, "Why didn't I say something?"

"He'll be back, Mom. He loves you. And when he comes back, you can tell him. You'll tell him and he'll believe you because he knows you. He'll know its true," Rory said calmly.

"It's over," Lorelai said, as if testing the words versus her own strength.

"No, it's not," Rory told her firmly.

"You should get back to Yale," Lorelai said tiredly.

"Uh-uh," Rory grunted.

"Rory, you can't just stay here," she said impatiently.

"Sorry. I'm here for the duration," Rory said stubbornly as she rolled off of the bed.

"No," Lorelai protested as she sat up in the bed.

Rory looked at her mother and said, "You need supplies."

Lorelai hung her head in exhaustion and said. "I'm fine."

Rory looked at her pointedly and said, "There's no sign that you've eaten or had anything to drink."

"Well, I'm not hungry or thirsty," Lorelai said petulantly as she tucked her hair behind her ears.

"Well, if you're staying up here you need supplies. Sustenance, entertainment," Rory insisted.

Lorelai sighed and said, "Well."

"See, you're a little thirsty, aren't you?" Rory asked cajolingly.

Lorelai looked at her daughter and shook her head as she admitted, "A little."

"What can I get you? Water? Bourbon?" she offered.

"Water is good," Lorelai answered in a subdued voice.

"What do you got food-wise?" Rory asked with a frown.

"Not much," Lorelai answered blankly.

"What's not much?" Rory asked.

Lorelai shrugged and said, "Like, nothing. Some moldy bread. I've been eating out mostly."

Rory wrapped her scarf around her neck as she said, "Okay, I'm going on a run."

"I'm not hungry," Lorelai insisted.

Rory ignored her and said, "I'll get you some DVD's, too. Do you want magazines?"

"No," Lorelai said shaking her head.

"I'll get you some magazines. You sure you don't want bourbon?" Rory asked again.

Lorelai looked up at her and said, "Honey, you have stuff to do."

"This is my stuff. I'll be back in a flash," she promised.

Lorelai inhaled sharply and said, "The ribbons."

"What?" Rory asked, not understanding.

Lorelai smacked her hand against the bed a she said, "Ugh, the ribbons. They're all over town."

Rory shrugged and said, "I'll just ignore them. Stupid Taylor!" she sneered in annoyance.

"People are going to be all over you with questions," Lorelai warned.

"Then they'll feel the wrath of the Green Destiny," Rory promised, narrowing her eyes angrily.

"Oh, you'll get bombarded," Lorelai said shaking her head.

"Well, maybe I'll call in some reinforcements," Rory said as she kissed her mother on the head. "I've got my cell on," she called as she picked up her purse.

"'Kay," Lorelai said as she watched Rory gather her stuff.

"Don't go rollerblading or bowling or anything while I'm gone," Rory teased.

"I won't," Lorelai promised with a tight smile. She waited, watching as Rory went down the stairs and then flopped back on the bed. She pressed the back of her hand to her forehead and tried to work up the energy to suck it up long enough to get her daughter out of there and back to Yale. _No kid should ever see what a screw up her mother really is, _she thought as she stared blankly at the ceiling.

_XXXX_

_Oh my God, we broke up. She thinks we broke up. She thinks I broke up with her!_ he thought as he trudged down her driveway late that night, shell shocked from the war that was raging around him and in him. When he heard her crying on his machine, he tore from the apartment. He ran across town to her house and banged on the door. When she didn't answer, he tried the loose window but remembered that he had already fixed it. He thought for a moment, trying to remember a way into her house that he hadn't fixed, but came up blank. He knocked again as panic started to fill his throat. Finally, he ran around to the back of the house and tried the back door. When he found it locked, he was so desperate to get to her, that he busted the damn thing and dashed into the house calling, "Lorelai? Lorelai!" as he sprinted up the stairs. Seeing the array of junk food spread over the bed, he realized that she was probably okay, and went downstairs to check Rory's room. When he found the rest of the house empty, he gave up and walked out of the front door, planning to camp out on the porch until she came home from wherever she had gone.

And then she appeared. Embarrassed, but calm, apologetic, but resolved. She told him how sorry she was. She insisted that she was wrong to call him. She told him that she wasn't the kind of girl who fell apart and called her ex-boyfriend. The minute the words left her mouth, Luke's ears were filled with a dull roar, blocking everything else out. He stopped in the driveway and looked down at the cassette in his hand blankly, trying to recall anything that she said after she uttered the words, 'ex-boyfriend.' The air was gone from his lungs_. We broke up. It's over. She's gone. She's out,_ he told himself. He felt like he had just been kicked square in the chest as he turned and looked at her dark house. "I'm not out, I just needed time," he whispered. "No, I'm still in. I just needed a little time."


	11. Mishigas

**Mishigas**

'Lorelai signed you up weeks ago,' Lulu had said. _Weeks ago_, the thought reverberated through him. Lorelai had signed him up to build sets for the elementary school production of 'Fiddler on the Roof' and she was going to do the costumes. _Weeks ago. She had made plans for them weeks ago. She had made plans without asking him first. She had just assumed that they'd be together. She had just assumed that they had a future. She had assumed all of the same things that he had,_ he realized slowly. _She was going to be there. He would see her, talk to her. They didn't have to talk about the big stuff. They could talk about the little stuff, the play, the sets, the costumes. Maybe he could invite her back to the diner for coffee after practice and they could talk about the big stuff._

He had gone over there the night before to talk to her, forgetting that it was Friday night and that she would probably be in Hartford. He saw the garage doors still standing partially open and realized that he had forgotten about the boat. He figured it was best to get it out of her garage and find a place to store it permanently so that she could have her garage back to store whatever it was she stored in there. Without thinking too much about it he pulled the doors open and backed his truck up to the garage, hitching the trailer to the tow bar on the truck. He pulled it out carefully, and then got out to close the doors behind him and secure them. He parked it on the street in front of the diner, and went inside intending to look up the names of area storage facilities to call the following day.

But then, when he stepped into his empty apartment, he had felt the same crushing loneliness wash over him that he had every day since her parents' disastrous party. He pulled a beer from the fridge and walked to the window, staring down at the boat parked below, lost in thought. Finally, he turned from the window and looked at the bed. The double bed he had bought for her so that she would know that he had room for her, both in his bed and in his life. As he had every night since the vow renewal, he sighed as he sat down on the worn old couch and placed his beer on the coffee table in front of him. He reached for the old afgan his mother had crocheted decades before and pulled it down to his lap. Unfolding it carefully, he shook it out with a flick of his wrists and stretched out on the couch, cushioning his head on a throw pillow and spreading the afgan over him. He closed his eyes and forced her face from his mind, willing himself once again into the blessed oblivion of sleep.

Now, he glanced out the diner window at his Dad's boat. He sighed softly as he thought of the night he had sat in it telling his Dad about Lorelai. If he walked out there now he would still see it, the 'L' he had traced on the dusty decking with the heart around it. He hadn't seen her. She has been skillfully avoiding any place that they might run into each other. He hadn't heard from her since the message she had left on his machine and then desperately tried to take back. He played it over and over, just so he could hear her voice, no matter how much it hurt to hear her cry, to know that she was crying over him. He dropped a rag on the counter and started to scrub at the imaginary debris, needing it to be clean, needing to come clean. _He had to talk to her. He had to fix this. They had to fix this._

XXXX

She was fine. Well, she was going to be fine. It had been a difficult two weeks. After her meltdown on Luke's answering machine, she had hoped that she had purged the neediness from her system. Little did she know that it was only the start. She managed to drag herself into work the next day, determined that her life should go on, with him or without him. She plastered on a shaky smile and proceeded to hide out in her office all day long under the guise of needing to catch up on paperwork. She worked like a demon, focusing on invoices and purchase orders rather than on the big gaping hole in her gut that was threatening to suck her in. She actually felt slightly better as she walked into the house that night, proud of what she had accomplished in one day. She had studiously ignored her cell phone, having told Rory that if she needed her, to call the inn or home, because she didn't want to be constantly staring at the display, hoping to see 'BurgerBoy' on the call list. She had spoken to her daughter earlier, so she told herself that there would be no reason to check the machine, but still, she turned her hopeful gaze to the desk, only to have those hopes dashed by a solid red light. She walked into the kitchen to see what was left of the provisions Rory had supplied and stopped short when she saw the back door, closed and locked with a shiny new lock. She walked over and tried the handle. When it didn't budge, she looked at it blankly for a moment before she looked down at the floor and saw the shiny new key that matched the shiny new lock which he had slid under the door. Stepping back from it as if it were a coiled snake, her face crumpled into tears as she stumbled to the table, sinking into a chair.

Those first few nights of the wallow to end all wallows, or 'The Wallow in the Hollow' as she now liked to call it, were the hardest. She packed the Luke box the first night. Actually it turned out to be three Luke boxes, another shocking reminder of how pervasive his presence in her life truly was, even before they became a couple. She spent another evening sitting on her bedroom floor with an ancient boom box and sorting through an even more ancient box of old cassette tapes that she had never parted with. George Michael commiserated with her over the 'Careless Whisper' of a good friend. Howard Jones assured her that 'No One is to Blame', Simon LeBon begged her to 'Save a Prayer' for the morning, and the Human League explained that they were only 'Human.' She cried her way through the Thompson Twins and Spandau Ballet before finding solace in Air Supply, and a little petty vindication in Journey. Saving the best for last, she popped a CD into Rory's old Discman and covered her ears with the headphones before curling up on the bed, and listening to Bono sing 'With or Without You' over and over again. But never did she touch the Bangles CD. She couldn't bear it. She couldn't think about it. She knew that if she did, she would surely be consumed by that Eternal Flame. She'd be caught up in the feel of his hand wrapped around hers as he pressed them to his beating heart. She'd be trapped by the memory of nights watching him sleep, soft and warm, content just to be next to her. She'd be haunted by the sound of her name on his lips as he looked into her eyes, those dark blue eyes, so intense, so sincere, baring his soul to her, asking her silently if she understood. For days, her mantra was swiped from an old 10cc song, altering the lyrics slightly to remind herself that 'big girls don't cry, big girls don't cry,' as she muddled through the days, trying to hold it together long enough to get to the safety of home.

Lorelai decided that she had enough of giving in to her grief, and resolved to put it and him behind her, and move forward. Of course, this did not mean that she had put away the snapshot of the two of them Rory had taken two years before. They were standing by the food drive table, arguing about something, she couldn't remember what it was about now. She had kept the picture because it made her smile. It was quintessentially them. Luke was staring at her like she had just sprouted a second head, a frown creased his brow, but if you looked closely, the corners of his mouth tuned upward as he tried to fight back the exasperated amusement bubbling up inside of him. Lorelai was looking up at him with her hands on her hips, her chin at a defiant angle, but her lips and eyes gave away the pleasure she was deriving from this particular exchange. She had long ago wedged it into the frame of the mirror over her dresser. The first time Luke had spent the night at her house, he had commented on it, saying that he could never figure out why she would keep a picture of the two of them fighting. She told him that it wasn't the fight that she liked, but the way the photo captured the two of them perfectly. She looked at the photo now, as she stood in front of the mirror hooking a necklace around her throat. With a decisive flick of her hand, she pulled it from the mirror and dropped it into her jewelry box, closing the lid firmly and spinning away from her reflection as she shove her feet into her shoes and left the room.

She grabbed her purse and keys and headed out the door. As she drove to Weston's for her morning jolt, she thought about the evening she had spent with Rory the night before. It had been good to get out of the house, out of Stars Hollow. Even her daughter's well meaning probing didn't bother her. She knew that Rory was just concerned. Worried about her, worried about Luke and worried that they would both be hurting forever. She got her coffee, or coffee's as it turned out, because the humorless woman behind the counter had no appreciation for Lorelai's coffee, coffee, coffee bit. She placed the to-go tray on the passenger seat and pointed the Jeep in the direction of the Dragonfly. As she turned off of Oak, she saw Luke's boat parked in front of the diner, and her breath caught in her throat. _He had taken it. He had sneaked over to her house and taken it from her garage with no phone call, no note, or even a smoke signal to warn her._ She stared at it as she passed, unable to tear her eyes from it. _That was it. This was the final nail in the coffin that contained their relationship. It was done. _Resolutely, she set her jaw and blinked back the tears that threatened. She was done too. Done crying. Done hoping. Done waiting for the call that never came. She pressed the accelerator and got the hell out of the town square as fast as she could.

XXXX

Three days. For three days he had been lost in a sea of munchkins. Three days of hearing about Damon's lesbian mommy and watching Bradley suck on that inhaler. Three days of ducking Carrie's disconcerting offers of comfort and consolation. Three days of watching Kirk tread the boards like the Jolly Green Giant in a prayer shawl. Three days, and not one glimpse of Lorelai. Lulu kept assuring him that the other adults were doing their part, but he hadn't seen it. Seen her. The costumes appeared that day, but their wardrobe mistress was no where to be found. By the time the dress rehearsal started, Luke had reached the limit. When Yenta tripped over the hem of her dress, he lost it. He stormed out of the school auditorium, climbed into his truck and sped over to her house. When he pulled up in the drive, he saw her in the garage. He made a beeline for her, ranting and raving about Yenta tripping and Avram and Ruchel, and the fact that the goats had to be reset. He yelled at her about being where she was supposed to be and how she was supposed to be in charge of costumes, but she wasn't there. He pointed out angrily that he was building the sets, and he had been there every day because she had signed him up to be, and then she had not even been there like she was supposed to be. Lorelai took offense at his indignant accusations, yelling back that she was making the costumes at home and delivering them to the school as they were finished.

Luke looked around the garage, noticing for the first time the pink and blue paint and the gold glitter applied to the walls. "What the hell am I looking at?" he demanded.

Lorelai shrugged and said, "It's my new special alone space."

Luke shook his head in disbelief as he looked at her questioningly and said, "Oh, yeah? Well, you got a whole house of special alone space."

Lorelai flinched and said, "Not like this."

Luke gave her that look, the 'are you nuts' look from the photo and asked, "So, what, are you going to hang out in your garage, now?"

The anger and hurt welled up inside of her as she yelled, "I don't know, maybe! I mean, why not? It's not like I have a boat that needs storage, or anything!"

"You could park your car in here," he pointed out.

"I never park my car in here! I have never, ever parked my car in here, Luke! And you know that!" she yelled impatiently. "But I come home to this big, huge, suddenly empty space, and I thought I would try to do something nice, so it wasn't just a giant hole of depression sitting out here!" she said as she gestured wildly.

Luke shook his head and said, "I thought I was doing you a favor."

"Oh, please," she sneered.

"I did!" he insisted.

Lorelai's voice dripped with sarcasm as she said, "Well, gee, thanks a lot."

"It's your garage!" Luke pointed out indignantly.

"Whatever," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"I mean, what was I supposed to do, leave the thing in here forever?" he asked helplessly.

Lorelai glared at him and said, "Oh, no. Absolutely not. Much better to sneak it out of here and park it in front of the diner like a giant 'they broke up' billboard for the whole town to see!" she ranted.

"I didn't mean it like that," he said shaking his head.

"Well, how did you mean it, Luke?" she demanded.

Luke took a frustrated breath and said, "I can't believe you're mad at me for getting my boat out of your garage!"

"I'm not mad at you for getting your boat out of my garage. I'm mad at you for the way you got the boat out of my garage," she told him.

"What, did I ruin the lawn?" he asked sarcastically.

Lorelai shook her head and said in a voice filled with pain, "You didn't even call me, Luke. You didn't leave a message or a note or anything. You just snuck in and took it, and I got to come home and find it gone." She glared at him angrily as she said, "Although, I didn't come home and find it gone! I drove by the diner and assumed it was gone!" She unfolded her arms and said, "You know what, it doesn't matter. 'Cause it's done. We're done. It's fine. I'm not mad," she said quickly, holding up her hands in frustration.

"I can tell," Luke said dryly, crossing his arms over his chest.

Lorelai shook her head as she rushed from the garage saying, "Well, I have dresses to make, so I'll see you at the theater."

Luke watched her cross the lawn toward the house and shook his head in frustration and confusion. He had just wanted to see her, to talk to her. He looked down at his boots, resting his hands on his hips as he drew in a deep breath. He closed his eyes, squeezing them tight as he pressed his laced hands to the top of his head as if he needed to hold it onto his shoulders. With a long, drawn out sigh, he trudged back to his truck and climbed behind the wheel, backing slowly down the driveway, and keeping his gaze firmly averted from the house.

XXXX

They stood in the wings, watching as the production unfolded, sneaking glances at one another when they thought the other was distracted, and making a point of keeping themselves busy with fulfilling their duties as crew with deliberate care. Kirk, playing Tevye, asked his 'wife' Golde if she loved him and they sang together. It was a sweet song about a long married couple trying to figure out what this new notion of love was and if what they had shared for twenty-five years would be considered love. Lorelai stood with her arms crossed over her chest protectively, her fingers digging into her arms as she tried not to tear up, hyperaware that Luke was standing just feet from her. She set her jaw and stared straight at the stage, trying to hold it together, but dying inside each time Tevye asked Golde if she loved him. _God, yes, yes, yes,_ she thought to herself. _I know I didn't say it, but how could you not know?_

Luke swallowed hard as he listened to the words of the song, trying to appear far more cool and aloof than he actually felt. He looked over at the angry, defensive set of her shoulders and felt a little bubble of irritation rise inside of him again. He should be the one who was mad. He should be the one who needed to protect himself from her. She did the hurting. She did the lying. She was the one who did this. As the song drew to a close, he watched as the odd couple on stage realized that love came in many forms, and no matter how it came about, or what it consisted of, it was a comfort just to know that you were indeed loved. His anger fled as he glanced over at Lorelai, seeing her blinking rapidly. He ached to take her in his arms, yearned to tell her that he loved her. He wanted to tell her that it would be okay, that he loved her enough for both of them. He turned to her as the song ended and found her facing him, her lips parted as she searched for the words she wanted to say to him. Suddenly a group of kids rushed for the stage, thundering through the gulf that still yawned between them. Luke looked down and he saw one of the kids yanking on his arm as he tried to pull him over to the milk cart. His eyes lingered on her for a moment more, trying desperately to hang onto it. Finally, he turned away to inspect the wagon, glancing over his shoulder as he squatted, only to see her turn and walk away.


	12. So

**So…**

He was standing in the nearly empty diner ignoring Kirk and working on his books when he heard her voice.

"Hello, Luke," Emily said form just inside the door. He stiffened, but did not turn to look at her. "When you get a moment, I'd like to have a word with you," she said as she approached the counter.

"I'm busy right now," he growled as he continued his work.

"That's fine. I'll just wait here until things die down," Emily said coolly as she glanced around the deserted diner. She sat on a stool near Kirk and took a menu to peruse while she waited. Nervous and angry, Luke dropped the pencil to the counter and began filling the coffee filter with fresh grounds. "You have a wide selection here," she commented. She paused before asking, "What is mud pie?"

Kirk pointed to the menu and said, "Oh, that's awesome. Its chocolate pie with Oreo cookie crust, and sometimes you can get Luke to put gummy worms in it, like worms in the mud, so, you can imagine," he told her with a pleased nod.

Emily shuddered with disgust as she said, "Well, you've painted a wonderful picture." She looked up at Luke and said, "Your coffeemaker seems to be full now."

Luke rammed the filter basket into the machine and plucked a carafe from the burner as he turned and asked, "Coffee, Kirk?"

"Oh, no. I can't drink coffee. It makes my lungs hurt," Kirk told him as he watched Luke fill the mug in front of him. "Thanks," he said as he stared blankly at it.

Emily leaned closer to Kirk and asked, "Would you mind excusing us?"

Startled, Kirk started to rise as he said, "Oh, um, okay." He picked up his plate and stepped outside of the diner door.

Emily toyed with the ring on her finger as Luke turned his back on her again and began punching random figures into his calculator. "My daughter and I aren't speaking. She won't take my calls, she won't come to dinner. She apparently wants nothing to do with me," she said pensively. She took a deep breath and said, "I'm sure you know that Lorelai and I have had many battles. Most of them have been because I feel that I know what's best for her. But Lorelai has her own ideas about what she thinks will make her happy." She hesitated for a moment and then said, "She wants you, Luke. She's made her choice, God help her, but there it is." She watched as he slowly lifted his head, finally listening to her. "It doesn't matter if I agree with it, I can't fight it. You've won," she said with a slight wince. "Go back to her. I promise I will stay out of it," she said as she took her purse and slid off of the stool, heading for the door. She paused when she saw Kirk pressed up against the glass trying to hear what was being said. "You're going to have to clean that window," she said as she pulled the door open and Luke turned to watch her leave. He gripped the counter and leaned back against it as her words sunk in.

He stared straight ahead blankly as Kirk came back in and sat down at the counter. He reached for the bottle of ketchup and said apologetically, "This is great, but it just needs a little something."

Luke turned and walked to the hallway, pulling his jacket from the hook and shrugging into it. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys. Placing them on the counter next to Kirk's plate he said softly, "Enjoy. Lock up when you're done."

"You're leaving?" Kirk asked as she turned on his stool to watch Luke hurry out of the door.

"Yep," Luke said as he slammed the diner door behind him and took off at a jog towards Lorelai's house.

He slowed when he reached the foot of her driveway, trying to make himself stop, but unable to control his legs. He climbed the porch steps, knowing he should take a minute to figure out what to say, but powerless to halt his forward motion. He knocked on the door, listening carefully for any sound of movement inside. He could hear the television or stereo playing an old song about the man that got away. He saw her outline through the frosted glass as she approached and his heart started pound even harder. He pressed his fingers to it briefly, trying to make sure it stayed in his chest as she swung the door open. He stared at her, and closed the distance in two steps, wrapping one arm around her neck and pulling her close to him with the other as his lips found hers. He poured it all into his kiss, the love, the hurt, the joy, and the longing, bending her back slightly under the force of it as he held her firmly. Lorelai took her arm front his shoulder and slid it under his arm, holding him close as the kiss went on. Finally, without breaking the kiss she reached back and pushed the door closed, praying she wasn't dreaming.

He stepped back from her, his chest heaving with exertion, his eyes wide and wild. Lorelai looked up, touched his scruffy cheek and asked, "Am I dreaming?"

"God, I hope not," he panted as he stared at her intently.

"You're here," she breathed, pressing her hand to his chest to feel his heart beating.

"I'm here," he said, not really believing it himself. "Lorelai," he started to say.

"I love you," she blurted as she stared up at him.

"What?" he asked in a shocked whisper.

"I realized that I never said it. I mean, I did and I didn't, but I never really said the words. I need you to know that," she said quickly.

"You love me?" he asked as he tried to wrap his mind around the unexpected declaration.

"Yeah," she answered. She glanced down at his slack arms and then looked back up at him nervously. She licked her lips nervously as she took a step back and said, "I mean, you came here and you kissed me, so I assumed, I mean, I think that meant something," she babbled. "Maybe it didn't. Maybe you're just feeling a little lonely, and you thought, 'Hey, I'll stop by and see what my old friend Lorelai is up to' maybe get a little…" she said with a shrug.

"No," he said adamantly. "I came here for you," he said looking her in the eye. "I came here because I need you," he said in a softer tone. "I came here because I love you. And now you're telling me that you love me too," he said as he reached out to touch her cheek.

"We need to talk," she said as she leaned into his touch.

"I've been trying to talk to you for weeks, I just didn't know what to say," he confessed.

Lorelai nodded and bit her lips as she looked up at him as she asked, "But we're clear on the basics, right? You love me, I love you, and we're going to work this out, right?"

"Crystal clear," he answered with a nod.

"Okay, okay," she said closing her eyes with a sigh of relief. "Okay," she said again as she opened them and said, "We should, uh," as she gestured to the living room.

"Yeah," he said as he took her hand in his and led her to the couch.

Lorelai sat down, muted the television and turned to face him as she said, "Where to start…"

"Let's start at the beginning. I love you Lorelai. I didn't want to break up, I just needed time to think, to figure things out," he said quickly.

"But you said it was too much, you said you couldn't be in this relationship," she reminded him.

Luke shook his head and said, "I know. You asked what I was thinking right then, and that was true, right then. I was so confused. Hurt. Why did you lie to me?" he asked raggedly.

"Oh God, Luke, I didn't want to. I really didn't mean to. It just all got so big," she said shaking her head. "How did it all get so big?" she asked desperately.

Luke looked at her and said, "I need you to tell me about, uh, Christopher," almost choking on the name.

"Oh, Luke," she said with a wince. "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you. I guess I was just scared that you'd freak out or get upset or jealous again or something. It really was completely innocent," she assured him. "Rory and I found out at dinner that night that Chris' dad had died. Rory felt just awful, because she had kind of been blowing him off," she explained.

"Blowing him off?" Luke asked.

"Uh, yeah," Lorelai said with a grimace. "After Sherry left, she went to Chris and told him to stay away from me. She was afraid that he'd try to do something to screw things up with me and you," she told him with a wry smile. "Smart girl, that one. I didn't know any of this until I called him, just to check to see how he was doing with Gigi. Anyway, I arranged for the four of us to have lunch at the inn, and he and Rory had this big blow up about it," she said holding up her hands. "I know that you were worried about him after the lunch thing, and I know now that you had good reason to be. But Luke, I didn't want any of this," she implored. "I was just trying to be a good friend. When we found out about Straub, well, Rory and I both felt so bad that Chris didn't seem to have many people in his life," she said sadly. She looked him dead in the eye and said, "I felt like maybe I had poisoned Rory against him. I really, really tried hard, her whole life, not to do that, no matter how crappy a dad he was."

"I know," Luke answered as he tried to process what she was telling him.

"Rory left dinner before I did. She picked up cookies and milk and took them over to his parents' house to try to make amends," she told him. She shook her head sadly and said, "Poor kid, she sat there trying to console a father she hardly knows, in the home of the grandparents that barely even acknowledged her existence." She blinked and said, "Anyway, after I left Mom and Dad's I decided to go over there to see if he needed to talk. I stopped at the liquor barn and picked up a fifth of tequila and as I was driving there, Rory called. She had just left and was upset by how broken up Chris was over losing his dad. They had a horrendous relationship, Chris' whole life. She wanted me to go there, to talk to him, to sit with him and be his friend. But Luke, let me be clear, I was already on my way there. I pulled up behind Rory as we were still on the phone," she told him flatly. "I just want you to understand how both Rory and I were feeling about it," she explained.

"I get it. Go on," he said gruffly as he rubbed his hands on the thighs of his jeans.

"So, that was it. I went there. Luke, aside from this whole mess, Chris and I have been friends since we were six," she explained. "We sat in the living room drinking tequila and talking about his dad, and old times, and trying to sort through his feelings. We were up all night, but nothing happened," she said firmly. "I will swear to you on anything you want that absolutely nothing inappropriate happened," she insisted.

"Then why did you lie? Why did you hide it?" he asked.

Lorelai shook her head and said, "I don't know. I knew you'd be upset. I knew you'd feel, uh, threatened, I guess, and there was no reason for you to feel that way. The minute I didn't come clean about it, I felt horrible. And then, there you were, being you," she said as she held up her palms helplessly. "Thoughtful and caring, so sweet, building me an ice rink to help me make up with snow, you're just always so damn perfect," she said with a rueful laugh.

Luke snorted and said, "Yeah, so perfect that you felt you had to hide things from me."

"I knew that telling you would make me feel better and you feel worse. I hoped it would just go away. I hoped he would just go away," she said clenching her fists. "I just wanted to be here, with you, in our world," she said softly. "I didn't care about anything but you and me, and I want him and everyone else just to go away," she said through clenched teeth.

"He's always going to want you, Lorelai," Luke said quietly.

"No, Luke, he doesn't really want me. He wants the idea of me. That possibility of what we might have been, but never were," she said softly. She took a deep breath and said, "You know that over the years Chris has always been there in the background, popping up, turning our lives upside down. And yes, there was a time when I thought, maybe," she said hesitantly. "But Luke, it never happened, and I moved on. I let go of the possibility and then suddenly, I had this reality," she said gesturing to him with a small smile. "And the reality was so much better than I ever imagined," she said sincerely. "We were so much better than I ever dreamed," she said taking his hand in hers. "You know me, Luke. You know the real me, everything. You know I'm real, and human and not perfect," she said adamantly. She shrugged and said, "And you loved me anyway." She took a deep breath and said, "God, I was over the Moon. How could I have gotten so lucky? I tried so hard to make sure that I didn't screw it up, that I screwed it up royally," she said shaking her head. She squeezed his hand and said, "You have to believe me, the last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you."

"I believe you," he said quietly.

"Do you? So you really?" she asked.

Luke nodded and said, "I do now." He took a deep breath and said, "I should have listened to you. I should have let you explain."

Lorelai shook her head and said, "I wouldn't have listened to me either."

"I just had all of this stuff going around in my head," he said as he held his hands up to his skull. "I had to sort it out," he said, his eyes pleading for understanding.

"Have you?" she asked.

Luke chuckled and said, "Not really. But, I can't go on like this, Lorelai. You and me, apart. I had to know, once and for all if you were in this."

"I told you I was," she said softly.

"You told me what you thought I wanted to hear," he answered. "I needed to know for sure."

"Do you?" she asked.

"I do now," he said with a smile. He squeezed her hand and said, "Okay, I have to tell you something, but before you fly off of the handle, hear me out, okay?" he asked.

"This doesn't sound good," she said dryly.

"Okay, so that night that you called?" he started hesitantly. When she nodded he said, "I didn't realize that you thought it was over. I came over here because you were so upset, and I wanted to talk to you, to get some of this out. And then, you called me your 'ex-boyfriend,' and I realized that you thought we were through," he told her. "I didn't know how to take that. I was still all wrapped up in my head, all I heard was the ex-boyfriend part, and I didn't know what to say. You didn't want to be that girl, but I didn't want to be your ex anything," he said softly. He shook his head and said, "I went home and figured we both needed a couple of days to cool down, and then days turned into a week, and I hadn't seen you, hadn't heard from you," he said raggedly. "I didn't know if maybe you'd moved on."

"Oh, Luke," she sighed.

"And all of this crazy stuff in my head. That you were with Christopher now. That your parents would be so happy," he said with a snort. "And so, I came over here one night to talk to you, but you were gone. I saw the garage doors open and realized that I had forgotten completely about the boat. I didn't really think, I just figured I'd get it out of your way," he said with a shrug. "And then, Lulu came in about the play thing, and I realized that you had been making plans for us. You and me, things to do together. I'd build the sets and you'd make the costumes. And suddenly, I had hope," he said gruffly. "I went to that damn school every day. I had all of these scenarios worked up about how we'd talk about the play and stuff, and then I'd get you to come back to the diner for coffee and maybe we could talk for real," he said as he leaned forward, releasing her hand and rubbing his palms together. "I went there every day that week, built the stupid sets, got bossed around by a couple of kids not even four feet tall, listened as Damon went on and on about his mommy being a lesbian as Bradley sucked on his inhaler," he ranted. "You never came," he said turning to look at her. "Okay, yeah, I was supposed to be doing it for the kids," he said snidely. "But I wasn't, I was doing it because you signed me up. I was doing it because you were supposed to be doing it too," he explained. "So then, naturally, I blew up. I came over here and yelled at you, and you yelled back. You were so angry, and then I got angrier because I figured that you had no right to be angry," he said with a rueful laugh.

"Luke," she said trying to stop him.

He looked over at her and said, "Your mother came to the diner tonight."

"She what?" Lorelai gasped, her hand pressed to her throat.

"She came in tonight and told me that you weren't speaking to her, that she disagreed with what you thought was best for you, and that you wanted me," he told her. He looked down at his hands and said, "I have to tell you, it felt really good to have Emily Gilmore tell me that I'd won. Not that it was a contest or anything," he said quickly. "I mean, I don't think that you're something to be won or lost," he said lamely.

"I get it," she told him gently.

"She was so bitter about it, so, defeated, I guess. And I have to tell you, part of me wanted to dance," he admitted with a chuckle.

"I'll bet," she said with a nod.

Luke turned to her and said, "She told me to go back to you, that she'd stay out of it. Now, I know it's not the best thing in the world for me to admit, but it freed me up. I want you to know, that I was coming anyway," he said sincerely. "I couldn't take it anymore. My business couldn't take it anymore. Kirk was there. He was the only one there since I haven't been able to cook and I picked up this really bad habit of tossing paying customers out of the door if they annoyed me," he told her with a bitter laugh. "I was coming tonight," he said with quiet certainty. "I don't want you to think that the only reason I'm here is because your mother gave me permission, but I think it's important for you to know that she came and what she said," he finished with a wince. "So, instead of waiting until I closed, I handed the keys to Kirk and ran out of the door," he told her.

"Wow," Lorelai murmured as she took it all in.

"Lorelai, I don't want to come between you and your parents," he said sincerely.

Lorelai looked at him and said, "You haven't. Luke, I don't know how else to explain this to you. You see parents like your parents, but my parents are not like that," she insisted. "We will never have that kind of relationship. One built on trust, and respect and unconditional love," she said sadly. "I admit, I'd like my relationship with them to be better, smoother, but I don't expect it to be. It never has been," she said softly.

"But Lorelai, you only get one set of parents," he said urgently. "I never want you to have to regret being with me, or be ashamed of being with me, or feel like you have to protect me," he told her.

"I don't, I won't," she said shaking her head.

"But you already have," he said with a shrug. "You tried to keep me from meeting them. You knew they wouldn't approve of me, so you tried to shield me from them."

"I just didn't want them to hurt you. Look at what they do, Luke. They manipulate people, use them to get what they want," she said in a tone of disgust. "I hate to say this because you'll think I'm crazy, but Chris is actually a victim here too."

"How do you figure?" Luke asked, taken aback.

"My mother played him. She played him to a tee. She knows Chris is lazy and weak. She knows he's easily manipulated. She went to him and convinced him that this was the time for him to take his stand," she said urgently. "Now, I'm not defending him by any means," she said quickly. "He was an ass, an arrogant jerk who thinks he's entitled to something just because he was born who he is, and he managed to impregnate me once," she said with a shrug. "But Chris isn't evil, Luke. He's just Chris."

"I don't know if I'll ever be alright with him in your life," Luke said quietly.

Lorelai nodded and said, "Yeah, well, I can understand that. It's just," she said taking a deep breath. "You were right. He's always going to be Rory's dad. There's nothing I can do about that. Eventually, I'll see him. Eventually, you'll have to deal with him too, that is, if you want to be with me, and Rory," she added.

"I know," he said quietly.

"So you think you can trust me again?" she asked hesitantly.

"I trust you, Lorelai. I always have," he said gruffly. "I know that nothing happened. I just let him get to me. Let it all get to me," he finished with a self deprecating smile.

"The thing is, Luke, you have to trust me when I tell you that I want to be with you," she said, ducking her head to meet his eyes.

"I do," he told her. "Your parents?" he asked.

Lorelai shook her head and said, "That's for me to deal with. And I'm telling you now, that I will probably never stop trying to protect you from them. Not that I think you're weak or that you can't take care of yourself, but because it hurts me to see you hurt. And Luke, no matter what my mother says, they will not give in quietly. Trust me, I've been choosing my own path in life for twenty years and they still don't think I'm capable of making good decisions," she said with a bitter laugh. But, I can tell you this. I chose to live here. I chose to raise Rory here for a reason. I chose to pester you into being my friend and I chose to kiss you back, Luke," she said firmly. "These are my choices. You are my choice," she said as she touched his cheek softly. She leaned in and kissed him tenderly. "I'm so glad you chose to come back," she whispered.

Luke smiled and said, "I'm not sure that I had much of a choice."

"There's always a choice, Luke," she said shaking her head. "It's just a matter of what you do with the choices you make."

He leaned in and kissed her again. When he drew back, he pressed his forehead to hers and whispered, "Wise woman."

"No, not so wise," she said with a smile. "Just hopeful."

He reached up and gently slid the elastic down her ponytail, tenderly releasing her hair from its binding and fanning it over her shoulders with is fingers. "I like hopeful," he said gruffly. He leaned in and kissed her, his lips brushing over hers in a whisper soft touch of renewal.

Lorelai sighed softly, her breath washing over him as he pressed his lips to hers, claiming them as his own. "So, good talk?" she asked softly.

"Good talk," he answered as he pressed his lips to hers again.

Lorelai parted her lips in invitation, leaning back toward the end of the couch as he moved closer to her. She stretched out, holding him on top of her as he kissed her deeply, his tongue massaging hers in a tender waltz. "Oh, Luke," she sighed as he released her lips, tilting his head to press a trail of tiny kisses across her jaw. "I missed you so much," she whispered. "I missed having you near, seeing you, talking to you, feeling you, touching you," she said as a small sob caught in her throat.

Luke lifted his head and said firmly, "No more crying. It's over, we're here."

"I know," she said with a tremulous smile.

"You and me, Lorelai," he said as he looked down at her intently, lacing his fingers through hers and pressing their palms together.

"You and me," she answered as she pulled his head back down and kissed him with all that she had.

They lay entwined on the couch, her leg draped over his, their jointed hands pressed into the cushion near her head, her other hand holding him to her firmly. He stroked her face with his fingertips, reacquainting himself with the velvety softness of her skin, and kissing the dusting of freckles on her nose. Lorelai smiled up at him and said, "Finally, I can come back from the coffee wasteland."

Luke nodded and said soberly, "Yes, that's what's truly important here."

"I can sit at the counter and kiss you hello and, oh my God!" she said with a gasp.

"What?" he asked as he reared back a little.

"Kirk! Did you say you gave Kirk the keys and left?" she asked in a panic.

"Yeah, so?" he asked as he shook his head and began nibbling at her ear.

"Luke, you gave Kirk the keys to your diner and just left," she said incredulously.

Luke blinked as he looked down at her, realization dawning slowly. "Oh my god," he whispered. "Oh crap!" he said as he scrambled up off of the couch. He looked down at her, then at the front door, and then back down at her. "I have to go," he said hoarsely.

Lorelai nodded as she sat up. "You'd better," she said with a nod.

"I can't believe I did that," he said blankly.

"You were in a hurry," she answered.

"I don't want to go. I can't just go," he said as he frowned at her.

Lorelai nodded and asked, "Why don't you take me with you?"

"Come on," he said as he held his hand out to help her up. Lorelai stood up and shook down the legs of her sweats. Luke looked down and said, "Shoes."

"On it," she answered as she walked over by the steps and pulled on a pair of tennis shoes Rory had left there.

Lorelai turned to look at him and said, "Good thing we never got your coat off," with a snicker.

Luke looked down and saw that she was right. He smiled and said, "Get yours, it's chilly."

Lorelai shrugged into a jacket and pulled her keys from her purse as Luke turned off the television and the lights, leaving only a lamp burning. "Back door locked?" he asked.

Lorelai shrugged and said, "Who cares?"

Luke shook his head as he strode into the kitchen and called, "The guy who fixed it."

"Who was also the guy who broke it," Lorelai retorted as he turned the deadbolt.

"But it was broken before and I fixed it," he pointed out.

Lorelai nodded sagely and said, "You should probably leave one trick entrance unfixed, just in case."

"You should keep a spare key around," he answered as he headed for the front door.

"Well, there's the one in the turtle," she said as she locked the door behind them.

"What turtle?" he asked.

Lorelai shook her head and said, "Nevermind, I'll make you one."

"I hope my diner is still there," he said as he took her hand and started across the lawn.

"Me too," she giggled as she trotted to keep up with his long stride. "Hey Luke?" she asked.

"Yeah?" he answered distractedly.

"Think there will be any pie there?" she asked with a grin.

"Baked a boysenberry one this morning. I meant to bring it with me as a bribe," he said as he flashed her a smile.

"Smart man," she answered as they hurried toward the square. When they tuned a corner, Lorelai said, "I don't see any smoke, that's a good sign."

"Yeah," he answered gruffly. As they got closer he saw all of the diner lights were still on. He frowned and said, "What the hell? He didn't turn of the lights? He'd better have locked the door," he growled.

A minute later, they walked up the steps to see Kirk standing behind the counter in one of Luke's too big flannel shirts, pouring coffee into mugs and talking to imaginary patrons. "Oh my God!" Lorelai gasped, clamping her hand over her mouth to suppress the giggles that erupted.

Luke burst through the door and yelled, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Kirk looked up like a deer caught in the headlights and said, "I thought someday I might like to work at a diner, and since you won't hire me, I figured I'd try it out."

"Out!" Luke shouted, jerking his thumb toward the door.

Kirk quickly placed the coffee pot on the burner and scurried out from behind the counter. He gestured behind him and said, "Keys are still over there."

Luke grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and asked, "What else did you touch?"

"Nothing!" Kirk said quickly holding up is hands defensively.

"The shirt just wandered down here on its own?" Luke growled.

"Just the shirt, I swear! I had to see what the uniform would be like," he said pleadingly.

"Get out," Luke said as he shoved Kirk toward the door.

"Hi, Lorelai," Kirk said meekly as he sidled past her.

"Hey, Kirk," she said with a giggle.

Kirk turned on the top step and said to Luke, "Oh, your shirt."

"Keep it," Luke growled as he slammed the door in his face and locked it, pulling the blinds closed.

He turned to take a quick survey of the diner and said, "Looks like he didn't break anything." He walked behind the counter and poked his head into the kitchen. "I closed down the kitchen just before your mother came in," he told her as he looked around. He dumped the coffee out of the mugs and heard a soft strangled cry from the girl by the door. He looked up and rolled his eyes as he pulled out a clean mug and poured the rest of the pot into it. "Here you go, junkie," he said dryly.

"Thank you, angel," she said as she slid onto a stool.

He went into the kitchen and came back out holding a whole pie and a fork. He set the pie in front of her and pulled out a napkin to rest the fork on as he started to clean up the mess Kirk had made. Lorelai picked up the fork, and scraped the tines lightly over the top of the pie, lost in thought. Finally, she looked up and said, "You handed the keys to your diner to Kirk and ran to get me."

"Probably not my smartest move," Luke said in a deadpan tone.

"No, but for my money, definitely your best," she answered with a smile.

"Mine too," he said. He jerked his chin at the pie and asked, "You wanna come upstairs?"

Lorelai nodded and said, "You really do love me, don't you?"

Luke smiled at her and said, "Probably not a smart move either, but I can't seem to help it."

Lorelai blushed as she smiled down at the pie and said, "Cover this up. I'll have it tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" he asked as he took the pie from the counter.

She looked up at him and said, "You don't need a bribe."

Luke nodded slowly and said, "Good to know."


	13. A Whole Other Kind of Friction

**A Whole Other Kind of Friction**

Luke had both the refrigerator and freezer doors open as he inspected the contents. "There's nothing in here but ice cream, candy bars, cookie dough, canned frosting," he said as he pulled a container of ice cream from the freezer "Why are you not four hundred and fifty pounds?" he asked disgustedly as he placed the container in front of her.

Lorelai dialed on her cell phone as she answered, "I know. Scientists call it the Lorelai Paradox."

"Who are you calling?" he asked a she pulled some bowls from the cabinet and walked back to the table.

"No one. Just seeing if Rory left a message," Lorelai told him with a pout. She looked down at the bowls he had placed on the table and asked, "Who's washing those?"

Luke quickly cleared the bowls from the table. "Why, was she, uh, supposed to leave a message?" he asked as he pulled two spoons from the drawer.

"No, I was just hoping," Lorelai said as she listened for her voicemail to kick on. She glanced at the spoons and asked, "Are we out of plastic?"

Luke sighed and went back to the drawer, pulling out two plastic spoons as he asked, "Why were you hoping? Everything okay with her?"

He placed the plastic spoons on the table and began to sit down as she said, "Yeah, she just had a date tonight. Get four, those tend to break," she instructed.

Luke grunted, "Okay," as he got up to retrieve two more plastic spoons. "Uh, she out with that Logan kid?" he asked as he settled back into his chair.

"No. Robert," Lorelai answered as she flipped the phone shut.

"Who's Robert?" Luke asked with a frown.

"I know nothing about him except his last name is Grimmaldi," Lorelai told him.

Luke dug into the carton of ice cream with his plastic spoon and asked, "When did she break up with Logan?"

"She didn't," Lorelai answered succinctly.

"I don't understand," Luke said blankly.

"Its college," Lorelai said dryly shooting him a knowing look.

"What does that mean?" Luke asked incredulously.

"It means, 'butt out, back off, none of your business,'" Lorelai said facetiously.

"Oh," Luke said as his eyes widened.

Lorelai looked at him and said, "Rory suddenly decided she's 'dating girl.'"

"Well, that's okay, right? Isn't that what kids are supposed to do?" Luke asked with a mouth full of ice cream.

"It's just, it's not Rory," Lorelai said as she shook her head in disbelief. "I don't think it's what is going to make her happy. It seems wrong for her," she insisted.

Luke nodded in agreement and asked, "You say something to her?"

"No," Lorelai answered quickly. "I mean, she's been so chatty lately, wanting to be able to talk about Logan and her life, so now I just don't know what to do," she said as she gestured helplessly.

Luke's eyes widened again, as he said simply, "You talk back."

"I am, but I just feel like I need to be really careful what I say," Lorelai said with a shrug.

"Oh, come on. That's ridiculous," Luke scoffed.

"Well, she's not at home anymore. She's on her own," Lorelai reasoned.

"Doesn't matter," Luke insisted.

"It matters a little. You know, there have been very few times in our relationship when I ever played the 'mom card'. But I always had it there in my back pocket," she said with a grimace. "And when I used it she had to hear it and take it, 'cause she lived here. And even if she didn't like it or even if she got mad, the worst that would happen is she would run into her room and slam the door and blast the Jam," she told him. "But then in the morning, I controlled the bathroom, and the, and the Pop-tarts, and she had to deal with me," she said with a bitter laugh. "And eventually we'd make up and it was over. But now…" she trailed off.

Luke shook his head and assured her, "Nothing's different."

Lorelai sighed and said, "Of course it is. It's different. She's on her own. She's making her own decisions." She took a deep breath and said, "My 'mom card' is looking a little flimsier, and I don't know how much to say to her. If she doesn't want to hear it, she doesn't have to take it. She doesn't have to call, or come home," she said sadly.

Luke shook his head, holding out his hand to calm her as he said firmly, "She'll call. She'll come home."

"Yeah. I hope so," Lorelai said with a sigh as Kirk stumbled out of Rory's room with his Superman blanket wrapped around him. "I don't know," Lorelai finished uncertainly. They sat for a moment and then they heard a door close. She glanced over at Luke and asked, "Did we lock the front door?"

Luke sighed and said, "I'll be right back," as he got up and went after Kirk. Lorelai picked up her spoon and dug into the carton as she heard Luke yell, "Kirk! Get back here, Kirk!" as the door closed after him.

Lorelai picked up her spoon, and scraped at the ice cream distractedly as she let Luke's quietly confident words soothe her nerves. She smiled as she thought back on the last few days.

XXXX

The night he had come to get her, they sat on his couch, kissing and talking softly, her legs draped over his lap, his hand possessively covering her thigh. They talked about everything that had happened that horrible night, the feelings that had overwhelmed them both for the last few weeks, and the relief they both felt in being able to put it back together again. There were tender kisses full of promise and hope. There were soft caresses filled with comfort and longing. There were whispered declarations of feelings that ran deep. Finally, when the kissing began to grow more heated, Luke patted her leg and said, "Come on, I'll take you home."

"Home?" she asked blankly, as she shook her head to clear it. "I don't want to go home. I want to stay here," she told him.

Luke shook his head and said, "No, not tonight."

"Why? Why not tonight?" she demanded impatiently.

"Lorelai, we've talked about all sorts of things that we needed to talk about tonight," he said with a sigh. "I really need this to work between us," he said softly.

"Me too. I don't want to go home, I want to stay with you," she insisted.

"I think," he started. "I mean, I just, I want this to be a fresh start," he said with a shrug.

"It is. It is a fresh start," she answered quickly.

"I don't want for us to be together, uh, that way, until we can let some of these feelings rest a little," he said gruffly.

Lorelai shook her head and said, "I don't want to spend another night apart."

"I don't really either, but I really don't want to drag this all into bed with us," he said seriously. He brushed her hair back and said, "This weekend, I'll take you out. We'll have another first date," he offered with a small smile.

"Can't I just stay here? I mean to sleep?" she asked quickly.

Luke chuckled and glanced down with a slight blush as he said, "I'm not sure that I could handle that."

"We've slept together lots of times without, uh, sleeping together," she said meaningfully. "Please, don't take me home," she whispered. "Take me to your bed."

He looked into her bright blue eyes and knew he was a goner. He smiled and shook his head a little as he said, "Okay, stay with me."

Lorelai favored him with a blinding smile and said, "You won't regret it, we'll be good," as she kissed him firmly on the lips.

Luke smirked and said, "Depends on your definition of good."

And so, that night, and the two following nights when she finished working, Lorelai crawled into Luke's bed, cuddled up close to him and drifted off to sleep soothed by tender kisses, quiet laughter and softly spoken words. Three nights, when for once in her life, Lorelai Gilmore didn't mind waiting, knowing that they were together, and that was how they were going to stay.

XXXX

Lorelai smiled as she dug into the container of ice cream again, freeing up a huge chuck with her spoon and popping it into her mouth. She wallowed it around in her mouth, trying not to wince at the cold hitting her teeth. She turned to look over her shoulder as she heard the door close again. "Get him?" she asked around a mouth full of ice cream.

"Yep," Luke said as he dropped a kiss to her head and slid back into his chair.

Lorelai looked around blankly and asked, "Is he in your pocket?"

"Nope," Luke said as he picked up his spoon and dug into the container again. "I took him out to the garage, made him put his clothes back on and gave him the keys to my apartment," he said gruffly.

"What? Again? Are you trying to burn the place down to collect the insurance money?" she asked with a laugh.

"No," Luke said slowly as he chewed his ice cream. "I told him that if he took off any clothing or touched anything but the couch, I'd break his scrawny legs," he said with a shrug.

"Well, there's an offer you can't refuse," she said with a snort.

Luke looked at her pointedly and said, "It was my fault he was here. And, I really didn't want him here tonight," he said in a deep voice as he shot her a heated look. He looked over at her and said, "I'll send him back in the morning."

"Why? You have plans for tonight?" she asked nonchalantly as she scraped up another bite of ice cream, knowing it would probably be her last for the evening.

"Oh yeah," Luke said with a nod.

"What would your plans be?" she asked innocently.

"Well, let's see," Luke said as he set his spoon down and rubbed his hands together. "For the last three nights, I have been sleeping in the same bed with my beautiful girlfriend, who I have just reconciled with," he said pointedly.

"Yes, you have," she said with a nod.

"For the past three nights, I have managed to behave like a perfect gentleman," he said proudly.

"Yes, which makes you far from perfect in my book," she said pointing her spoon at him.

"I can live with that," he said with a nod. "I wanted to take her out, have a nice dinner to celebrate said reconciliation, ply her with ice cream, and then I planned on being as imperfect as a gentleman can possibly be," he said with a smirk.

"How very presumptuous of you," she gasped.

Luke leaned toward her and said softly, "If you don't want me to presume things, you shouldn't wear a dress like that."

Lorelai smiled and glanced down as she asked, "You like the dress?"

"I love the dress," he growled as he stood up, placed the lid on the ice cream and put it back in the freezer.

"I wasn't done with that," Lorelai said as she pointed the spoon at the freezer door.

"Yes, you were," Luke said firmly as he held out his hand to help her from her chair. When she stood up, he pulled her to him and kissed her passionately. He lifted his head, smiled at her slightly dazed expression and said, "That dress screams 'come and get it' loud and clear."

"My pretty pink, sparkly dress does?" Lorelai asked aghast.

"Gorgeous pink, sparkly dress, very low cut," he said in a low dangerous voice.

Lorelai grinned at him and said, "I was hoping you'd want to come and get it."

"You should never doubt that I want to," he said as he tightened his arms, swaying slightly as she brushed against him.

"Dance?" she asked teasingly.

"Another time," he answered as he captured her lips for another searing kiss. He touched her cheek gently and whispered, "You look beautiful."

Lorelai smiled brilliantly and said, "I feel beautiful."

"Let's go upstairs," Luke said gruffly.

Lorelai smiled as she reached behind her, laced her fingers through his and led him to the stairs. She glanced back at him with an almost shy smile as he followed close behind her. When they reached her room, she turned and said, "Stay here a sec, okay?"

"Uh, okay," Luke said with a confused frown.

"Just a sec," she said as she slipped into the room and closed the door behind her. She quickly dashed around the room, lighting the clusters of votive candles she had placed around the room earlier. A minute later, she opened the door and said breathlessly, "Okay, you can come in now."

"Okay," he said slowly as he poked his head into the room curiously. He smiled when he saw the candles scattered over every surface and said, "Why, Ms. Gilmore, I'm beginning to think that you had expectations for the end of the evening too," as he stepped closer to her.

"Well, if the dress didn't work," she said with a shrug.

Luke smiled down at her as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "I don't need the sexy dress, but I like it. The candlelight is an added bonus, but you know I'm much easier than that," he said as he bent to nuzzle her neck. He pressed his lips to the tender skin beneath her ear and heard her sigh as she gripped his arms, squeezing his muscles gently.

"I wanted it to be special," she said in s breathless voice.

"It always is, but this makes it more special," Luke said gruffly as he slid the pink sweater from her shoulders and skimmed it down her arms.

Lorelai ran her hands over this soft brown sweater he wore and whispered, "I was so afraid."

"Of what?" Luke asked as he nipped at her ear.

"Of never having this again," she said as she tilted her head to grant him better access to her. "Of never touching you again, of never having you touch me," she confessed.

"Oh, Lorelai," he sighed as he lifted his head. He looked down at her and said, "It would have happened, one way or another. I don't think either of us could have gone on like that."

"Maybe, but still," she said as she tangled her fingers in the curls at the nape of his neck. She pressed her lips to his and kissed him sweetly, drawing it out slowly in a way she knew drove him mad. She slipped her hands under the hem of his sweater, seeking the warm smooth skin of his back, and relishing the feel of his hard muscles rippling beneath.

Luke let himself fall into her kiss, giving over to the soft plush feel of her lips under his and her warm breath washing over him. He angled his head and licked at her bottom lip, groaning softly and pulling her tighter to him as she parted her lips and allowed him to deepen the kiss. As with everything, he took it slow, drawing her bottom lip into his mouth and sucking on it gently before allowing his tongue to seek hers. He caught her soft moan with his mouth, and increased the pressure, massaging her tongue with his as they danced and dueled. Finally he pulled away and looked down at her solemnly. "Beautiful," he said in the barest whisper.

"You are," she agreed as she pressed her lips to his throat, and began gathering his sweater in her hands, lifting it up to push it toward his shoulders. She stepped back and quickly stripped it over his head, tossing it aside before smoothing his hair back down with her hands. She smiled at him lovingly and said, "So beautiful," as she let her fingertips trail down his bare chest. She found the buckle of his belt and started to unfasten it with her nimble fingers.

"You in a hurry?" Luke asked with a smile.

"Not really, just want to get rid of some clothing," she said as she smiled back at him.

"I see," Luke murmured as he bent his head and placed his open mouth to the base of her neck and kissed and sucked gently on the tender skin, smiling to himself when he felt her shiver.

"You're trying to distract me," she whispered.

"Not at all, I encourage your efforts," he said with a chuckle as he worked his way across her shoulder. He ran is tongue under the spaghetti strap of her dress as his hands felt for the zipper on her back. He nipped at the edge of her shoulder in frustration as he growled, "How do you get this thing off?"

"On the side," she said with a smile as she drew his zipper down and pushed his pants from his hips, letting them fall down around his ankles.

"Tricky dress," he grumbled as he found the zipper under her arm and drew it down slowly. "Tease a guy and then make it so he can't figure out how to get it off of you." He slipped his hand into the dress caressing her waist with his warm hand. He looked down and saw his pants pooled at his feet and said, "And then you hobble him so that he can't possibly look smooth doing this," he said shaking his head as he tried to toe off his shoes.

"Sorry, I got antsy," she said with an impish grin.

"What else is new?" he asked as he held onto her, trying to free himself for shoes and pants. Finally, he grunted, "Dammit," and bent to remove them, stripping off his socks in the process.

"Better?" she asked innocently as she ran her fingers around the waistband of his boxers.

"Better," he said, flashing a relieved smile as he straightened and pushed the straps of her dress from her shoulders. He guided them down her arms until the dress fell into a sparkly heap at her feet. He took in the matching pale pink strapless bra and skimpy panties and smiled appreciatively. "Much better," he growled as he pressed her up against his bare chest and kissed her heatedly. He frowned as her satin bra rubbed against him and said, "Pretty, but it has to go too," as he unhooked it quickly and pulled it out from between them. When she rubbed her bare breasts against his chest he smiled and said, "That's so much better."

"Yes, it is," she said softly.

Luke ran his hand over her hair, gazing down at her lovingly before he kissed her again and picked her up in his arms. He stepped over the piles of discarded clothing and placed her gently on the bed, stepping back to admire her in the candlelight. He touched his fingers to her parted lips, and then trailed them slowly down her throat, between her breasts, over her flat stomach to the top of her pink satin panties. He knelt on the bed and stretched out beside her. For a few minutes, they lay quietly kissing while their hands reacquainted themselves with the contours of each other's skin. Unlike their first time, there was no lust induced urgency. Unlike subsequent times, there was no battle of wills, no quest to conquer, and no need to prove anything to one another. Luke sighed contentedly as he kissed his way from her neck to the valley between her breasts, content with the knowledge that when he touched her, her nipples would bead and harden in response. When he kissed her, he knew she would moan softly and run her fingers through his hair. When he suckled her, she would arch closer to his mouth and whimper for more.

He ran his thumb over her nipple, smiling as she reacted to his touch. He kissed her breast gently, nuzzling the soft mound affectionately and feeling a rush of satisfaction as her fingers threaded through his hair. He drew her into his mouth, running his tongue over the hardened nub as she arched into him and whispered, "Luke."

The sound of his name on her lips spurred him. He sucked harder, cupping her breast in both hands and squeezing them before he released her and moved to the other side. He looked up to find her watching him closely and smiled as he murmured, "I love to watch you." He ran is tongue around her nipple and then said, "I love to see how you respond when I touch you."

"I love it when you touch me," she answered simply.

"Well then, that works out well, doesn't it?" he asked before her drew her into his mouth and sucked deeply.

"God, yes," she panted as she dung her fingers into his shoulder and hung on. When he raised his head and gave her a pleased smile she shook her head and said, "That settles it, more touching."

"Done," he answered firmly as he bent to kiss her stomach, smoothing is hands over her skin as he nipped and sucked a line down to her navel. He glanced up at her briefly and then dipped his tongue into it.

Lorelai jerked and sat straight up saying, "Hey, hey! You know that tickles," as she pushed him away.

Luke smiled at her and said, "Just making sure that hadn't changed."

"It hasn't," she said quickly. She reached out and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him back down over her as she said, "Nothing has changed."

Luke kissed her gently and said, "I just needed to be sure."

Lorelai stroked his cheek and brushed his too long hair back from his forehead as she said, "Absolutely nothing has changed." She kissed him again and then said, "Make love to me, Luke."

"I thought I was," he said gruffly.

Lorelai shook her head and said, "I meant, I want to be with you now."

"You are," he argued with a frown.

Lorelai rolled her eyes and said, "I would like you to be inside of me now. Is that clear enough for you?"

"But," he stated to protest, but was silenced by her finger on his lips.

"No, Luke. I just want to be with you now," she said gently.

Luke pressed his lips to her finger and nodded mutely. He sat back and hooked his fingers into the sides of her panties, pulling them slowly down her long legs. He pushed off his boxers and kicked them off of the end of the bed. He ran his hands up her legs, gently kneading the soft skin of her thighs. He tentatively touched his finger to her sex, smiling with satisfaction as she parted and he found her wet and waiting. He lifted his finger to his lips and sucked the moisture from it as she watched him. He glanced down at her and then back up at her face as he asked, "Just a little?"

"Later," she whispered as she reached for him. "I want you close to me," she said as he stretched out over her, pressing his hard cock against her soft curls teasingly. When she looked up at him looming over her with his arms outstretched, she tugged on his arms and said, "Closer."

Luke shifted his weight and balanced on his elbows braced on either side of her head. He smoothed her hair back, framing her face with his hands as he bent to kiss her lingeringly. "Close enough?" he asked gruffly.

"Not quite," she said as she shifted beneath him, positioning his cock between her thighs. "Come closer," she said as she reached down and smoothed her hand over his ass, lifting her hips up to meet him.

Luke sighed softly as the head of his cock pressed against her entrance and he began to sink slowly into her heat. "Oh, Lorelai," he said softly as she enveloped him.

"So perfect," she whispered as he pressed deeper into her. When he was fully sheathed in her she smiled and said, "How perfectly we fit."

Luke kissed her again, drawing her lips against his and moaning softly into her mouth as he began to move inside of her. He continued kissing her, alternating soft, wet kisses with the urgent demands of his teeth and tongue as he slid in and out of her with long, deliberate strokes. "Perfect," he whispered against her lips.

"Mm hmm," she agreed as she kissed him deeply, her hand pressing his ass to urge him as she made her need be known.

Luke never lifted his lips from hers as he continued to kiss her as he moved faster, catching her soft grunts and moans with his mouth and giving them back to her as he thrust deeper into her wet heat. "Lorelai," he panted against her.

"Oh, Luke," she whispered back as his eyes met hers.

He kept his gaze focused on her face as her breath hitched in her chest and she clutched at his back and squeezed his ass harder. "Oh yeah," he said with a breathless smile as he recognized the signs. "Oh, Lorelai," he urged her as she climbed.

"Oh!" she said as she felt her climax begin to uncoil. "Luke!" she cried softly. He groaned as he felt her walls squeezing him tightly. Her eyes closed for a moment, and she struggled to open them again to look into his. "Luke, I love you," she said as she broke apart. "Love you, love you," she whispered mindlessly, lost in the waves of sensation crashing through her.

Luke tumbled over the edge with her words as he filled her murmuring, "You, only you."

He buried his face in her fragrant hair, breathing in the scent of apples and perfume as his lungs fought for air. Lorelai pressed tiny kisses to his ear and hair, trying desperately to get to more of him as his weight pinned her to the bed. "Shh, shh," she soothed nonsensically as her hands ran over his back and shoulders.

Luke chuckled, his voice muffled against her as he said breathlessly, "But I have something to tell you."

Lorelai smiled as she watched the candlelight flicker over the ceiling. "I already know," she whispered in his ear.

"Good," he said with a soft laugh.

"Yeah, good talk," she agreed with a giggle.


	14. To Live and Let Love

**To Live and Let Love**

Lorelai sat on the bathroom floor with Rory's head in her lap, stroking her hair as she cried. "Why doesn't he like me? Why doesn't he call me? What did I do?" her baby sobbed.

"Shh, honey, its okay. It's okay," Lorelai reassured her gently.

Rory wiped the tears from her eyes and sobbed, "Logan."

"Shh, it's okay," Lorelai said again, her heart breaking as her daughter sobbed helplessly over that stupid boy. She rubbed Rory's arm and continued stroking hair head until finally her sobs subsided. She glanced over Rory's shoulder and said, "Hon? Hey, Rory? Come on kid, let's get you to bed." She slid her legs out from under her daughter's head and lowered it gently to the floor as she stood up. She looked down at the pathetic ball of girl on her bathroom floor and shook her head sadly. "Rory, Sweets," she tried again as she pulled on her daughter's arm, trying to get her to wake up and move. Rory stuck her foot out, kicking at her mother as Lorelai jumped back and said, "Hey, no need to show off the kickboxing skills."

"Lone!" Rory mumbled.

"Kid, you're on the bathroom floor," Lorelai said as she hunched down next to her.

"G'way," Rory mumbled without opening her eyes.

Lorelai straightened up and looked down at Rory, trying to figure out if she would be able to lift her and carry her to her room. Dismissing the idea, she grabbed a towel from the rack and placed it under Rory's head to cushion it. She turned to leave the room and spied her yellow chenille robe hanging on the back of the door. She pulled it from the hook and covered Rory with it, figuring that she could wake her up later and help her to her room. She walked slowly down the stairs, pausing as she saw Paris passed out on the couch, her bare feet dirty, her shirt hitched up over her knees as her arm hung over the side limply. Lorelai sighed and tossed a throw over the girl as she glanced at the clock to see that it was only 6:00. She settled into the chair with the remote control, turning the volume down as low as she could possibly could and still hear it.

Paris rolled over and grunted, "Shut up," without opening her eyes.

With a heavy sigh, Lorelai turned off the TV, placed the remote on the coffee table and got up to go to the refrigerator. She stared at the sparse contents and debated between a bottle of water and a beer. With a shrug, she pulled the beer from the shelf and went out onto the porch through the back door. She walked around to the front, settled on the porch swing, and pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging them to her protectively as the bottle dangled from her fingers. She pressed her forehead to her knees and let out a long sigh. A few minutes later, she heard a soft, "Hey," from the vicinity of the porch steps.

She lifted her head and saw Luke standing with his foot on the bottom step and a bag of food in his hand. She smiled at the sight of him and said, "Hey back."

"You okay?" he asked worriedly as he climbed the steps.

"I'm fine," she said softly. She jerked her head toward the front door and said, "Got a house full of passed out college girls, but I'm fine."

"Is Rory okay?" Luke asked as he sat down next to her.

Lorelai shook her head sadly and said, "She's asleep on the bathroom floor."

"On the floor?" Luke asked incredulously.

"I couldn't get her up. God, Luke, she's a mess," she whispered.

"Well, Founder's Day punch can be pretty lethal to the uninitiated," he said with a nod. "I brought some hangover food," he said as he gestured to the bag.

Lorelai leaned over and kissed his cheek as she said, "You are the best."

"Well, I imagine they'll be feeling pretty rough," he said with a nod. "We've all been there," he said pointedly.

"Yeah, we have," Lorelai said with a rueful laugh. She peeked into the bag and asked, "Anything for the non-inebriated?"

Luke gestured to the beer in her hand and said, "I figured you were trying to catch up."

Lorelai shook her head as she looked at the untouched beer and said, "Seemed like a good choice at the time, but once I opened it, I didn't want it anymore."

"I'll trade ya," Luke offered as he reached into the bag and pulled out a to-go cup of coffee.

"Wow, I win," Lorelai said happily as she took the cup and handed him the beer.

"And here," he said as he handed her a Styrofoam container.

Lorelai opened it and smiled when she saw the burger and fries. "Comfort food," she said with a wink.

"So, what got into those guys?" Luke asked as he gestured to the window.

"Boys," Lorelai said as she chewed. "Boys suck. Present company excepted, of course," she said as she swallowed quickly.

Luke smiled wryly and said, "Not too long ago, I would have been included."

"Yes, you were, but you've redeemed yourself," she said gravely.

"Yeah, well, I'm sure I'll screw that up at some point," he said dryly as he took a pull on the beer.

"Probably," Lorelai said with a somber nod.

"Just promise me you won't pass out on the bathroom floor. I've seen that floor," he teased.

"Love stinks," Lorelai said as she took a bite of her burger.

Luke looked over at her sharply and said, "Yes, especially if you're J. Geils."

Lorelai shook her head as she chewed quickly and swallowed with difficulty. "I just meant when you're young and confused," she said quickly.

"As opposed to being old and confused," Luke said as he picked at the label on the bottle with his thumbnail.

"Yeah," Lorelai said softly. "So, the museum opening went well," she said with a grin.

"Taylor is very pleased," Luke said with a nod.

"I hear that his right hand man is indispensable," Lorelai teased as she nudged him with her elbow.

"Oh yeah, that's the word on the street," Luke grumbled.

"Taylor told me that he couldn't have done it without you," she said, trying to keep a straight face.

"Taylor said that? When did you talk to Taylor?" he asked quickly.

"Earlier," she said with a shrug. "He thanked me for encouraging you to get more involved in town events," she said as she watched him carefully.

"Oh, that," he said with a wave of his hand. "I was just trying to get him off of my back about volunteering, so I invoked the scared name of Lorelai," he said with a nervous laugh.

"Uh huh," she said with a skeptical nod as she picked up her burger again.

"So, uh, I saw Dean today," Luke said gruffly.

"Oh yeah? How's Dean?" Lorelai asked.

Luke shrugged and said, "He seems fine. We didn't talk much."

"I hope he's fine," Lorelai said as she pulled the lettuce off of her burger.

"Eat that," Luke said as he pointed to it.

"I ate three bites of it," she answered.

Luke sat back, draping his arm over the back of the seat behind her. "So, other than the fact that I'm fueled by testosterone and not estrogen, are you, uh, happy with how things are going?" he asked nervously.

"With me and you?" she asked through bulging cheeks.

"Yeah, and please take the time to chew before you answer," he said with a smile.

She smiled at him as she chewed and reached over to pat his leg as she forced the bite down. "Yeah, I'm happy. Aren't you?" she asked as a frown creased her forehead.

"Definitely," he answered. He shrugged and said, "Just checking."

"Are you afraid that one night in the hangover house of horrors may change my mind?" she asked.

Luke smiled as he glanced down and said, "Well, a good show of solidarity can go a long way."

"No way. I got the last good one," she said as she leaned over to kiss him.

"I'm glad you think so," he said as he tucked her hair behind her ear and kissed her again. He nodded to the container on her lap and said, "Go ahead."

Lorelai sat eating her dinner as he rubbed her shoulder distractedly, lost in his own thoughts. She looked over at him and asked, "Where'd you go?"

"Huh? Oh, I was just thinking," he said as he straightened up a little in his seat.

Lorelai set the container aside and curled up in the crook of his arm cradling her coffee cup in her hands "What were you thinking about?" she asked as she glanced up at him.

Luke shrugged a little and asked, "You ever think about living somewhere else?"

"Oh my God, Taylor finally drove you out," she gasped, pressing her hand to her heart.

Luke chuckled and said, "Oh, no. I was just thinking about something this guy was talking about today."

"What guy?" Lorelai asked.

"Some guy at the museum," Luke said, trying to sound casual. "Something about people choosing to live in this crazy town. Anyway, got me thinking," he said with a shrug. "I mean, Rory's almost grown and gone. You could go anywhere you wanted," he said as he gestured with his hand.

"Where would I go? Why would I go?" Lorelai asked. "I have a life here," she pointed out.

"Yeah, but, you wouldn't necessarily have to stay here," he argued.

"But, I have you, I have the inn," she said shaking her head.

"But if you didn't. I mean, if we weren't together and you didn't own the inn, would you stay here?" he asked.

Lorelai sat up and turned to look at him as she said, "I don't understand where you're going with this. What? Are you gonna dump me again and burn down my inn?" she asked incredulously.

"No, no, God no," he said quickly. "Purely hypothetical. I'm just saying that you could move to New York if you wanted," he said as he held his hand out to make his point.

Lorelai looked at him and asked, "Oh my God, are my parents are going to try to keep us apart, causing you to burn down our house, so that you have to be institutionalized, and when you're released you track me down in Manhattan and cause my Dad to get hit by a car?"

"Uh, no," Luke said blankly.

"I don't really understand where you're going with this," Lorelai said shaking her head at him.

"Nowhere. I'm not going anywhere," he said gruffly.

"Why do you want me to move?" she asked with a frown.

"I don't want you to move," he said quickly. "I was just curious. Your life is going to be changing along with Rory's," he said lamely.

"In two years," Lorelai said with a laugh.

"I don't know, it just got me thinking," he said as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Thinking about what?" she asked.

"This town, how small it is, how nuts it is," he said shaking his head.

"It's our town," she said with a nod.

"But Rory will be on her own soon, and you're still young. You could go anywhere, do anything," he said cautiously.

"Why would you think I would want to be anywhere else?" she asked.

"Well, who knows what's out there for you. You weren't born and raised here," he pointed out.

"No, but I've had a life here for almost the last twenty years. Rory's life. I chose to be here, Luke," she pointed out, getting annoyed.

"I was just thinking about it," he said helplessly.

"Well, your wires are crossed," she said with a frown.

"Apparently," he said with a snort. "Ignore me," he said with a wave.

"You're kind of hard to ignore," she said with a chuckle.

"I don't know, I guess we're all feeling a little off today," he said as he turned his head to look up at her.

"Probably because of that freaky mannequin thing," she said with a nod.

Luke sat back and took her hand in his, holding it tightly. "I just want to make sure we're on the same page, you know?" he asked quietly.

Lorelai looked at him quizzically and said, "Yeah, okay."

"So, you want me to go see if I can get Rory to her room?" he asked.

Lorelai weighed the pros and cons of Luke helping and said, "Nah, I'll get her up in a little while. Maybe I can get her to talk," she added with a shrug.

"This about that Logan kid?" Luke asked gruffly.

"Yeah, I don't think things are going the way she wants them to," Lorelai told him.

"What, is he nuts?" Luke asked angrily.

Lorelai smiled and said, "You might be a little biased."

Luke snorted and said, "Please, like any guy could do any better than Rory."

"You're very sweet," she said affectionately. "Rory would be mortified if you saw her like this," she said as she squeezed his hand.

"I really don't want to see her like this," he admitted gruffly.

Lorelai leaned over and kissed him as she asked, "Can you stay a little bit more? Sit with me?"

"Sure," he said as he sat back and wrapped his arm around her again.

"So what's in the bag?" she asked.

"Mac and cheese, burgers, some onion rings since the fries don't reheat well," he said with a wave of his hand.

They sat quietly for a moment as Lorelai ran her fingers through his, matching her own against his long fingers, marveling at how hands to strong and large could be so gentle. "You're an awfully good man, Luke Danes," she said softly.

"I'm glad you think so," he said with a smile. He kissed her temple. "Too bad this whole love thing stinks, huh?" he asked her in a light tone.

"Yeah, too bad," she said as she turned her face up to his and waited for his kiss.


	15. Knights in Plaid Flannel

**Knights in Plaid Flannel**

Luke was resting his head on the back of the couch as Lorelai flipped through the channels with a look of annoyance. "Does it seem like Frodo is on every fricking channel to you, or is it just me?" she asked.

Luke groaned and said in a voice laced with disbelief, "God, I have never been this tired."

Lorelai looked over at him as she set the remote in her lap and said sincerely, "Aw, you were one hell of a white knight today, baby."

"Yes, I'm a regular Lancelot," Luke answered with a tired sigh. His eyes drifted closed as he kept his hand resting on her knee.

Lorelai looked down at him affectionately and asked, "You starting to snooze?"

"Uh-huh," Luke grunted.

"Do you want to go upstairs, or are you okay right here?" she asked him softly.

"Uh-huh," he grunted again in a sleep raspy tone.

"Luke," Lorelai whispered. When he groaned softly she asked, "What did you put in the lamb chops?"

"Forget it," he mumbled sleepily.

"Come on!" she cajoled as the phone rang. 

Luke's eyebrows jumped and he smiled slightly as eh grumbled, "Saved by the bell."

"I'll be right back," Lorelai promised as she got up to answer the phone. "Hello?" she asked.

"You busy?" Rory asked in a subdued tone.

"What's wrong?" Lorelai asked quickly.

Rory sighed and said, "Dinner was awful."

Lorelai whispered, "Hold on," as she got up to go into the other room, leaving Luke to snooze on the couch. When she got to the kitchen she said, "Okay, hit it."

Rory spilled her guts, telling Lorelai about the disastrous dinner at the Huntzberger's and how Logan family acted like she wasn't good enough for their son. Lorelai listened to the whole story, interjecting her shocked disbelief at regular intervals. When Rory confessed that she was afraid that the encounter may cause Logan to bolt from the relationship, Lorelai took a deep breath and plunged in, finally offering her thoughts and opinion on the relationship, and the disturbing changes she was seeing in her daughter. In the end, though, it was all for naught. While they were talking, Logan showed up at Rory's door with an apology and the offer of dinner. As Rory went to get her coat, she asked Lorelai happily, "Did you hear that?"

"Yeah. I sure did," Lorelai said quickly.

Rory sighed with obvious relief and told her mother, "Everything's fine. I just got upset about nothing."

"Okay, but," Lorelai tried to interject.

"Thanks for the talk, Mom, and I heard you, but I have to go," she said hurriedly.

Lorelai paused and said unhappily, "Okay. Call me tomorrow."

"I will," Rory promised quickly as she hung up and dashed for the door.

Lorelai pressed the off button and stared at the phone with a frown. She placed it on the kitchen table, and sat lost in thought for a moment. Finally, with a heavy sigh, she stood up and walked back into the living room where Luke was asleep on the couch. She sat back down next to him and looked over t him pensively. "Rory okay?" he asked in a sleep raspy voice as he put his hand back on her leg.

Lorelai smiled at his question, thinking that it was so totally 'Luke' to be half asleep and worrying about her kid. She stroked his too long hair, letting her fingers play through the curls lazily before she whispered, "Come on, Lancelot, let's go to bed."

"Still early," he grunted.

"You're tired, let's go get comfy," she said as she watched his eyes flutter open.

He looked over at her and said, "You won't be able to sleep."

"We'll get in bed, I'll turn on the lamp and read, and we can play footsie until you drift off," she said softly.

"'Kay," he mumbled, as his eyes closed and he made no move to get up. He felt her run her fingers through his hair again and said, "Need a haircut."

"Yeah, well, you've been a busy boy what with work, your newfound civic pride and rescuing damsels in distress," she teased.

"I'll try to remember to get it cut this week," he promised sleepily.

"I like the curls," she whispered.

"I look like girl," he grumbled as he opened his eyes again and patted her leg. "I need to shower, I stink," he said as he looked over at her helplessly.

Lorelai shook her head and said, "You don't stink, you smell like lamb chops. Which, when you're sleeping in my bed, is a good thing," she added with a giggle. "Come on, let's go upstairs and I'll give you a massage," she offered.

"Lorelai," he groaned.

"Not that kind of massage, a real one," she said quickly. "I'll get the kinks out of your neck and shoulders," she told him.

"Will it be kinky?" he asked with a small smile.

"Only if you want it to be," she said in a placating tone.

"Alright," he said as he heaved himself up off of the cushions. "Let's go," he said as he patted her leg again.

Lorelai unfolded her legs and stood up, holding out her hand to pull him up from the couch. They quickly turned out the lights and Luke checked to be sure the front door was locked before he followed her upstairs. As they walked into her room, he stripped off his flannel and said, "I really should shower."

Lorelai shrugged and said, "If it will make you feel better, go ahead."

"I think I will," he said, trailing the shirt behind him as he trudged toward the bathroom.

When Lorelai heard the water turn on, she went to the laundry basket which held clean, folded clothes and pulled out a pair of his boxers, some sweat pants and a t-shirt for him. She carried them into the bathroom and called out, "I'm putting some clothes by the sink for you."

"Thank you," he said tiredly as he perfunctorily washed his hair and lathered up with her shower gel, trying to make his ten thousandth mental note to bring a bar of soap over. He rinsed off quickly and reached for the towel on the bar near the tub. After quickly drying off, he brushed his teeth, dressed and walked back into the bedroom looking a little more alert.

"Better?" Lorelai asked as she sat propped up in bed with only the bedside lamp on and a book in her lap.

"Much," he said with a nod as he tried to towel dry his hair. He gave up and dropped the wet towel tiredly on the hamper.

"Good," Lorelai said as she swung her legs from the bed. "I'm just gonna wash up, you go ahead and get comfy," she said as she pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

"Okay," Luke said as he pulled back the covers and slid between the sheets with a drawn out sigh of pleasure.

When she emerged a few minutes later, she was surprised to find him awake, his damp head cradled on his arm. "Still up?" she asked.

"You promised me a massage," he reminded her gruffly.

"I did," she said with a smile. "Take off the shirt and turn over," she told him.

Luke stripped the t-shirt over his head and dropped it tot eh floor before he flipped over and hugged his pillow, pressing his cheek to it. Lorelai knelt on the bed beside him and began to rub his neck with firm strokes of her fingers. Luke groaned softly and then asked, "You wanna talk about it?"

"Abut what?" she asked as she frowned at him in surprise.

"Whatever was wrong with Rory," he said in a gravelly voice.

Lorelai sighed and said, "Nothing is really wrong, I guess. She went to dinner at Logan's parent's house tonight," she told him. She cocked her head as she said with a wry smile, "Apparently his family was not very nice to her. You know how that goes, right?"

Luke's eyes popped open as he asked, "Not nice to her? How can you not be nice to Rory? That's like kicking a puppy."

Lorelai laughed and said, "Yeah, I told her it was like hating Thumper." She sighed and shifted her weight a little as she tried to get a better angle on his shoulders.

"Sit on me," he grumbled.

Lorelai gasped and said, "Dirty demands!"

"No, I just meant that you can rub better if you're," he started to protest.

"That's fine, I'll sit on you, big boy," she cut him off in a sultry voice as she straddled his hips and leaned forward to put a little more pressure behind her tender ministrations.

Luke groaned and said, "Oh yeah."

"Better, huh?" she teased.

Luke smiled against the pillow and said, "I love it when you sit on me."

"Naughty boy, I'm trying to do this for therapeutic purposes only," she chastised.

"It is therapeutic," Luke said gruffly. "By sitting there, you're putting pressure on my lower back, and that feels good," he justified as he closed his eyes. "So, what did they do to her?" he asked.

"Nothing really, they were just in a tizzy because they didn't think that Rory would make a good wife for Logan," she said with a smirk.

"Wife?" Luke asked as he pushed himself up, almost toppling her off of him.

"Easy boy," Lorelai said as she grasped his shoulders and pushed him back down. "They're nuts. Apparently, they took Logan bringing her to dinner as a sign that they were serious," she explained as he settled back onto the pillow.

Luke looked over his shoulder at her and said, "But, they're not…"

"No, nothing even remotely like that," Lorelai assured him as she pressed his head back down to the pillow and resumed her massage. "They said that Rory wanted to be a career woman, and that wasn't suitable when you married into a family like theirs," she told him.

"Thank God," he grumbled.

Lorelai smiled and said, "Yes, hopefully her ambition will be enough to keep her from ever falling into their clutches."

"She must have been upset," Luke said gruffly.

"Yeah, a little hurt, a little disappointed," Lorelai said with a nod. "But, you know, I can't help hoping that maybe this might open her eyes a little," she admitted softly. "I mean, you think the Gilmore's are bad, the Huntzberger's apparently think the Gilmore's are trash," she said with a chuckle.

"Always someone higher up the food chain," Luke mumbled.

"Yes," Lorelai said with a smile. "Maybe Rory will start to take a look at the world she's running around in, and think better of it," she said in a thoughtful tone.

"You don't sound convinced," Luke observed.

"Just hopeful," she answered.

Luke smiled against the pillow and said, "Well, if hopeful doesn't work, I can always kill him for you."

"You're very sweet. I'll keep that in mind," she said as she bent to kiss his cheek. "Now, hush up and start relaxing," she said as she resumed her massage, pressing deep strokes along his spine and working her way back up to his broad shoulders. She smiled to herself when he groaned and made a tiny squeaking noise when she pressed at a particularly sensitive spot. "Feel good?" she whispered a minute later.

"Feels great," he said softly. "Thank you."

"Thank you, good sir knight," she answered.

Luke smirked and said, "I'm not feeling particularly chivalrous at the moment?"

"No?" Lorelai asked as he hands stilled on his back.

"Keep going," Luke murmured, spurring her back into action. As Lorelai kneaded the taut muscles of his back he whispered, "You're excited."

"What?" she asked.

"Hot. I can feel you through your clothes," he told her. "And mine," he added with a chuckle. "So hot," he murmured with a pleased smile.

Lorelai chuckled and said, "Well, maybe a little. You do have an awfully nice back."

"It's a back," he said dully.

"Broad and strong," she said as she ran her hands up from his waist, pressing into him with the heels of her hands. "Gorgeous shoulders," she whispered as she ran her hands across them. "I ask you, how can a girl not get a little hot and bothered," she asked softly.

Luke raised an eyebrow and said, "You're getting warmer."

"Thank you, my little thermometer," she said with a laugh.

"I have a bigger thermometer for you," he growled.

Lorelai threw her head back and laughed with delight. "I thought you were too tired to play doctor," she teased.

"I'm much better now," he said with a smile. "Keep rubbing," he said softly.

As Lorelai continued to knead his skin she asked, "Why is it that your back always looks tan?"

"I dunno," he grumbled.

"It's winter, and your skin still looks golden," she murmured.

"Must be from years of working outside without a shirt on," he said with a little shrug.

"When? Until the night I finally got you naked, I never once saw you without a shirt on," she said with a laugh.

"Doesn't mean I didn't do it, just means there was no one around," he answered. "As a matter of fact, I've worked around here without a shirt on," he told her.

"When?" she demanded.

"When I pulled those shrubs out of the backyard," he told her.

"But, I wasn't home," she whined.

"Yes, so I lost the shirt. Babette gave me a big 'thumbs up,' though," he said with a chuckle.

"I'll bet she did. Shirtless, working Luke with those muscles damp with sweat," she murmured.

"Hotter still," he said with a cocky smile.

"Are you planning to do anything about it?" she asked as she ground herself against him.

"I wanna see how hot you get," he answered.

"Luke," she complained.

"Lorelai," he growled back. He glanced over his shoulder and said, "Rub."

Lorelai looked down at him with a smug smile and said, "Oh, I'll rub alright." She reached for the hem of her t-shirt and stripped it over her head, exposing her bare breasts. She reached up and cupped them in her hands, pressing against him as she rubbed her nipples between her fingers and said, "Oh yeah."

Luke craned his head around and said, "Lorelai!"

"You didn't tell me what to rub," she said teasingly as she began to ride his ass rhythmically, squeezing her breasts in her hands. "Am I getting hotter, Luke?" she asked in a low, sultry voice.

"Jesus," he whispered as he tried to turn over.

"Nuh uh," she said as she pressed him back down. "Stay there, I'm not done rubbing yet," she told him. She leaned over and began to rub her taut nipples against his back, pressing the soft swell of her breasts against his back and breathing in his ear, "Hotter?"

"Yes," he said raggedly as his hips move involuntarily against the bed.

Lorelai sat back and resumed massaging her breasts as she said, "Poor baby, so tired. Too tired to satisfy his girlfriend who gets all hot just touching him."

"No, I'm not," he said quickly as he strained to see her.

"No, you just relax," she said softly as she slid her hands down to the waistband of her sweats and let one of then dip down into them.

"Oh God," Luke groaned as she rubbed against his ass. "Lorelai," he said, his voice cracking with desire.

"Don't you worry about it," she said in a gently teasing voice. "I'm a big girl; I can take care of myself."

"At least let me watch," he blurted, color immediately flooding his cheeks as the words left his mouth.

Lorelai gasped and asked, "You want to watch me touch myself?"

"Lorelai, let me turn over," he growled.

"You want to see me?" she whispered, leaning close to his ear and letting her breasts brush against his back and she pressed her sex down on him.

"Yes," he whispered.

Lorelai smiled a slow feline smile and sat back, lifting her hips from his and allowing him room to flip over beneath her. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "Better?" as she lowered herself down again pressing against his erection. She cupped her breasts again and ran her thumbs over her nipples like he does. "Am I doing it right?" she asked in a breathy voice. "This is how you touch me," she explained as she looked him in the eye. When he lifted his hands to touch her, she shook her head and said, "No, you're tired, you rest." Lorelai looked him boldly in the eye as she hooked her thumbs into her sweats and began to lower them over her hips slowly.

Luke watched her, torn between the need to touch her and the desire to watch her pleasure herself. She stripped her pants and panties off, kicking them off of her legs before she straddled him again. Luke pressed his hands to her thighs, holding her in place as she looked down at him with a pleased smile. "God, you're beautiful," he whispered.

Lorelai let her head fall back wantonly as he pressed a hand to her throat and let her fingers slide slowly down between her breasts and over her flat stomach. When she reached her dark curls she lifted her head and looked at him boldly as he finger slipped into them and began massaging her clit. "Oh, you were right," she said in a breathy voice. "I am hot. Oh, and wet too," she said as she watched his eyes follow her every move.

He licked his dry lips and said in a deep voice, "Inside."

Lorelai smiled and asked, "Oh, you want me to put my finger inside of me?" She pressed her hand lower and moaned as she slid a finger into her wet heat. "Oh, you're right, that's much better," she said as she began to stroke herself hard and fast. Luke's hands tightened convulsively on her thighs as her hand brushed against his cotton clad erection with every stroke. She slid her hand out from between them and lifted her finger to her lips as she asked, "Should I see what I taste like to you?" When Luke nodded mutely, she sucked her finger into her mouth teasingly.

"Oh God," Luke grunted as he started to push his sweats down desperately.

"What are you doing?" she asked innocently as she lifted up to give him room.

Luke pushed his pants and boxers down to his thighs and used his feet to kick them off. He grasped her hips and pulled her down on him, rubbing the length of his cock against her damp folds before he lifted her up and lowered her onto him, thrusting up into her with a grunt. "Jesus, Lorelai, oh!" he panted as she began to ride him hard and fast.

"You liked that," she panted as she took him deep inside of her. "You like to watch me touch myself," she said as she looked him in the eye.

"Yes," he hissed between clenched teeth.

"You like that it makes me hot just to touch you," she taunted as she cupped her breasts and rode him harder. Luke reached up and covered her hands with his, squeezing her fingers so that she squeezed her breasts with every thrust of his hips. Lorelai moaned as she felt her orgasm building. "Oh, Luke," she panted.

Luke groaned and thrust up into her harder, gripping her hips as he felt her tighten around him, and felt his own climax threatening to erupt. "Lorelai," he gasped in warning. He felt her begin to spasm as the waves release ripping through her. "Oh!" he grunted as he thrust into her, emptying himself into her heat.

"Oh, oh," Lorelai whimpered softly as she began to slow, pressing her hands to his pelvis and letting her head fall forward as he throbbed inside of her.

Luke released her hips and pushed at the curtain of hair hiding her face from him. She looked up as he held the sleek straightened mass of hair back from her face. He shook his head slowly and said, "Come here," as he gathered her into his arms and pulled her against his chest.

Luke nuzzled his neck and she straightened her legs against his and said, "Well, that woke someone up."

"Probably the neighbors," Luke said with a laugh.

Lorelai smiled and said, "I meant you, but you're probably right. I'll probably get a thank you note from Babette tomorrow," she teased.

"I think I should write you one now," Luke chuckled.

"For taking advantage of a poor defenseless man?" she asked as she kissed his jaw.

Luke smiled and said, "So defenseless that I got you to start it."

"Oh, so now you're gonna claim it was all just part of your plan?" she asked with a laugh.

Luke growled, "Sit on me," into her ear and chuckled.

"Okay, maybe you did have a plan," she conceded.

"You certainly improved on it, though," he said as he stroked her back gently.

Lorelai smiled as she lifted her head to kiss his lips and said, "That sure got your attention."

"Oh yeah," he admitted with a laugh.

Lorelai kissed him again and then nestled back into the crook of his neck, as they lay pressed together. A minute later, she could hear his breathing deepen. She smiled and asked for the second time that night, "You starting to snooze?"

When Luke answered with a sleepy, "Uh huh," Lorelai moved to get off of him. Luke tightened his arms around her and grunted, "Uh uh."

"You want me to stay here?" she asked with a laugh.

"Right here," he mumbled.

Lorelai snuggled into him and whispered; "Now I know why they call you Lance-a-lot."

Luke groaned sleepily and said, "Horrible."

Lorelai giggled and said, "Goodnight, Sir Lucas."

Luke's lips quirked as he said, "Goodnight, Lady Lorelai."

When she felt his breathing deepen again and his body relax under hers, Lorelai carefully moved to his side. She placed her head on his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart. She closed her eyes and pressed a kiss to his chest as she whispered, "My knight."


	16. How Many Pieces of Pie to Forever?

**How Many Pieces of Pie to Forever?**

Lorelai and Sookie were in Sookie's living room having dinner and talking about Mike Armstrong's offer to buy the Dragonfly and daydreaming about the travel and excitement that hooking up with a company like The Durham Group could bring. They talked of Düsseldorf, the south of France, topless beaches, casinos and cheese. They giggled at the thought of travel luggage, expense accounts and jetting around the world being bossy. They smiled at the thought and then Sookie sobered a little saying, "But, I can't do that. I have Davy and little No-name here, and Jackson. Jackson wouldn't want to go topless in France," she said with a laugh.

"Yeah," Lorelai agreed with a nod.

"My life is here," Sookie explained simply.

Lorelai nodded quickly and waved it off as she said, "Yeah, sure."

"But you could go," Sookie pointed out.

"What?" Lorelai asked incredulously.

"Your kid's in college. You're young. You love to travel. You look amazing topless," she said with a giggle. "You could go. I mean, what's stopping you?" she asked.

"Well," Lorelai hesitated.

"Oh! Snap peas! Snap peas would be good in this!" Sookie squealed. "Manny, snap peas!" she called in the direction of her kitchen.

"Snap peas," Manny answered dutifully from the kitchen.

"Snap peas. Yeah," Sookie enthused as Lorelai toyed with her dinner.

After they had finished eating and bandied around some more name ideas for little no-name, Lorelai gathered her stuff and prepared to go home. Sookie looked at her friend and said, "You should think about it, mull it over."

"What?" Lorelai asked blankly.

"The offer. You should think about it," Sookie told her. "This could be great for you."

Lorelai gave her friend a small smile as she leaned over to hug her and said, "I'll think about it."

She walked home slowly, contemplating the things that Sookie had said. They weren't all that different from what Luke had mentioned that evening they sat on her porch while the girls slept off Miss Patty's punch. She sighed as she kicked a rock along the sidewalk. The one thing that kept reverberating in her head was 'Luke.' Could she leave Luke knowing how good things were between them? On the other hand, could she give up a lifetime of dreams of travel and excitement when she didn't even know what Luke had in mind as far as a future for them? If she didn't strike while the iron was hot, would such an opportunity present itself again?

She turned to walk up the driveway and looked up at her house. Could she leave this house for weeks at a time? Leave her stuff, her television, her little girl's room? She glanced over at Babette's house and smiled when she saw a new gnome had joined the family. Could she leave this crazy town? Could she stand not knowing what was going on here? Not being a part of it? Missing festivals and town meetings, missing pie and coffee at the diner, missing the scruffy diner owner who had wormed his way into her heart? She opened the door and dropped her purse and keys on the table by the phone. She saw the answering machine light flashing and pressed play. She smiled when she heard his voice. 'Hey, it's me. I hope Sookie's doin' okay and that you had a nice dinner. Uh, I was wondering if I was gonna see you tonight. I mean, I'd like to, that is if you feel up to it. Call me,' he finished shortly and hung up.

Lorelai reached for the phone and dialed the diner. When he answered she said, "Hey, got your message."

Luke chuckled and said, "Nothin' like a needy boyfriend."

"I'm feeling a little needy too. Can you come over when you close?" she asked.

"Definitely," he answered. "Pie?" he asked.

"Please," she said with a smile.

"See you in an hour or so," he told her.

"Yes, you will," Lorelai said with a smug smile as she hung up the phone. She placed it back on the cradle and said to the empty room, "I have a life here too."

She went upstairs and started running a bubble bath. She stripped off the day's clothes, twisted her hair into a clip and stepped into the warm water, leaning back with a long drawn out, "Ahhh." She turned the water off with her toes and sat skimming the bubbles from the surface of the water, gathering them in her hand and blowing them into the air. She closed her eyes and tried to picture her life if took the job. She pictured airports and room service. She pictured meetings in strange boardrooms. She pictured lonely nights in strange beds, alarm clocks that didn't purr, watery coffee, and clothes purchased specifically for their wrinkle free qualities. She shook her head and opened her eyes, blinking rapidly to clear the thoughts. She tried to picture beautiful inns tucked away in snow covered Swiss towns. She struggled to imagine dinners in French restaurants and entertaining clients at trendy German nightclubs. She tried to conjure up visions of the California coast and warm southern nights. She failed miserably.

Lifting her hands from the water, she found them puckered and wrinkled. She pulled the plug with her toes and sat in the cooling water as it drained from the tub. As she pushed herself up, she wondered if it was wrong that she couldn't picture living anywhere else. Luke and Sookie were right, Rory was grown, and she was still young, she could go anywhere, be anything. The thing they didn't see was that she was where she wanted to be. Here she had friends and a business she had built with her own two hands. She had her daughter nearby. She had Luke. She paused as she hung the towel over the bar and turned to look n the mirror. She stared at her naked reflection, trying to see herself through his eyes. She smiled at the thought, knowing that when Luke looked at her, he saw more than this. He saw her body and soul. He knew her heart, he knew her dreams, and he knew her hopes and fears. At least some of them.

What he didn't know was that she wanted a future with him. She wanted to marry him. Have kids with him. She wanted a life with him. She laughed a little at the thought of Luke with kids. She thought back to that evening in her mother's room when Miss Celine brought in every wedding dress in the world for Emily to choose from. She remembered holding one of the frothy concoctions up against her to see how she would look in it. She remembered daydreaming about the look on Luke's face when he saw her in that gown. She remembered vividly the look on his face when she stood beside her mother and listened to the judge say, 'I choose you.' She knew then that he was her choice, and regardless of what happened between them after that moment, and in the time since they reconciled, that hadn't changed.

With a small sigh, she turned and walked back into the bedroom to get dressed. As she pulled out some clothes, all thoughts of travel and the joys bossing people around were gone from her head. All she could think about was Luke. Did he want the same things? Maybe not the kids, but, then again, maybe he does. She pulled on her black track pants and a baby blue t-shirt, and checked her reflection in the mirror again. She pulled the clip from her hair and ran her hands through it. She smirked a little as she thought about the time she had spent carefully straightening it that morning. She turned and went back into the bathroom and quickly wet it down. After towel drying it, she worked a little de-frizzing solution through it and crimped the curls back into place with her hand. She pulled out her blow dryer and attached the diffuser to it, drying the curls he liked so much. She left the hair dryer on the vanity and went back to her bedroom to spritz a little cologne down the front of her shirt.

Don't push, don't push, she told herself sternly. You can't push him. He needs to come around to this on his own. She sighed and ran her hands through her slightly damp hair, smoothing it into place as she heard him open the front door and call, "Hello?"

She left the room and trotted down the stairs to see him standing there looking up at her with a container of pie and a large to-go cup in his hands. "Hey," she said with a bright smile.

"Hi. What have you been you doing?" he asked as she kissed him and took the pie and coffee from his hands.

She smiled over her shoulder as she walked toward the kitchen and said, "Oh, nothing, really." She turned the burner on under the kettle to heat water for tea and said casually, "Just took a little bubble bath."

Luke walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist as he kissed the side of her neck. "You smell great," he murmured.

Lorelai turned in his arms and wrapped hers around his neck. She kissed him tenderly and then buried her face in his neck, inhaling the scent of soap, food, and Luke. "You do too," she said as she kissed his neck and nipped at it playfully. She pulled back and ran her hand over his scruffy cheek, noticing the bags under his eyes. She smiled and said, "You sit. I'll get you some tea."

"I can get it," he said quickly.

"Nah, you relax," she said as she gave him a gentle nudge toward that chair. She turned to pull out the tea bags that she kept for him and dropped one into a mug. As she waited for the water to heat, she asked, "What kind of pie?"

"Apple," he answered as he drummed his fingers on the table. He looked up at her over his shoulder and said, "I melted a piece of cheese on it for you."

Lorelai smiled happily as she leaned over and kissed his forehead. "You're the best," she whispered sincerely.

"Well, rumor has it that I like you," he said with a shrug.

Lorelai poured hot water into the mug and placed it on the table in front of him. She pulled a spoon and a fork from the drawer and sat down in the chair next to his. She handed him the spoon, and then opened the container to find a huge slice of pie covered in cheese. She smiled as he wrapped the tea bag around the spoon and said, "I kind of like you too."

Luke reached over and gave her hand a squeeze. He smiled and jerked his chin at her as he said, "Eat your pie."


	17. Booze, Beds and Babies

**A/N: Okay, so let me say from the get-go that when I started this fic, I had no intention of using the limo scene from BBaM because, frankly, it's been done before. But, given the number of comments I have gotten from various people expressing their anticipation of this chapter, I'm a little nervous not to… **

**I'm afraid there's a rope out there with my name on it. Alas, they knew her only as Mags, the girl who wouldn't give them what they wanted… **

**So here it is, your smutty post-limo ride scene, followed by the scene that I had originally intended to do. Of course, once I started it, the smut just overran the whole damn thing. Smut can be that way, you know…**

**Booze, Beds and Babies**

"Hey, I heard there was good food at this party," Lorelai said with a bleary smile.

Luke nodded and said, "I heard that too."

"Huh. Never made it to the food, did we?" she asked with a grin.

"I had three peppermints I took from the bowl in the men's room. Gave the attendant a five, 'cause it's all I had," Luke said with a chuckle.

"Made it to the bar, though," Lorelai said pointedly.

"Yeah, we should've eaten something before we went," Luke said with a rueful smile.

"Who knew we'd keep missing the trays?" Lorelai asked incredulously.

Luke shook his head and said, "But I'm not hungry. But I'm something, what am I?" he asked, looking over at her for the answer.

"You're drunk," Lorelai said with a pleased smile.

Luke laughed and said, "Right. I haven't been drunk in years," as he stroked her calf.

Lorelai looked over at him affectionately and said, "Hey, have I thanked you enough for escorting me, and being such a good sport and shaking hands with all the big city folk you don't like, and putting extra cherries in my Manhattan?"

Luke rubbed her bare leg, his hand inching higher as he said, "Yeah. You did."

Lorelai gave him a knowing smile and said, "There'll be more thanking later on tonight."

Luke leaned over to kiss her heatedly, pulling her closer to him as her hand cradled the back of his head.

Lorelai smiled and murmured, "Tastes like peppermint," as she shifted for a better angle.

Luke leaned over, pushing her back on the seat with ardent kisses as his hand slid back to her leg to stroke the silky length of her thigh. "God, I want you," he growled in her ear. He pressed his lips to her neck and sucked gently on the tender skin as his other hand came up to cup her breast, rubbing her nipple through her dress. Shifting her back further, he pressed into her, rubbing his obvious arousal against her. His hand slipped under the dress and he traced the lacy edge of her panties with one finger. Lorelai moaned and arched up against him as he slid his finger under the elastic and found her warm and wet.

Lorelai's breath hitched in her throat as she tried not to give in to the sensations that were coursing through her. "Luke," she whispered raggedly.

"Mm hmm," he hummed against her throat.

"Oh!" she said softly as he bit her neck. "We're in a car," she panted.

"A limo," he corrected as he sucked her earlobe into his mouth. He pulled back and whispered, "Yes, I know," as he thrust his finger into her.

"Oh!" she cried louder. "Luke," she hissed as she dug her nails into his shoulders. Luke kissed her passionately, massaging her tongue with his as he continued to stroke her. He kept his lips locked on hers, swallowing her tiny cries of pleasure as he drove her up. Struggling for breath, Lorelai tuned her head away and panted, "Oh my God, I can't believe you're doing this."

Luke gave her a rakish smile and said in a low voice, "I want you, Lorelai. Right here in your big, fancy limo."

"Luke!" she gasped as her eyes flicked up to the partition, making sure it was closed.

"What? That's bad? You're right, that's bad," he said as he nipped at her neck, ducking his head to kiss his way to her collarbone. "Oh, but you're so gorgeous," he murmured against her. "All night long, I wanted to touch you. I wanted to feel you," he whispered. "I want you so much."

Lorelai's hips bucked involuntarily as he continued to stroke her. "Luke," she whispered helplessly.

"When are we ever going to have this chance again," he murmured in a deep seductive tone.

"Never," she panted.

"Please, Lorelai," he whispered in her ear as he began to slide her panties down. She lifted her hips to give him access and blinked as she saw him toss them to the floor.

"I never knew you were so bad," she said with a grin.

Luke shook his head and said, "I'm told I'm very good," as he pressed the skirt of her dress up over her hips and pressed wet open mouthed kisses to her creamy thighs. He nuzzled her curls with his nose, and Lorelai parted her legs with a soft moan. Luke slipped his hands under her and lifted her off of the seat, pulling her to the edge as he knelt on the floorboard.

"Oh!" she gasped as he touched his tongue to her, parting her folds with the tip and tickling her clit teasingly. "I can't believe this," she whispered.

"Believe it," he muttered as he parted her with a bold flick of his tongue. He raked the length of her with his tongue, teasing her with his lips and sucking her clit into his mouth.

"Luke," she panted as she pressed her hands to his head, burying her fingers in his hair.

"Heaven," he murmured as he pressed his tongue to her entrance, thrust into her wet heat.

"Oh my God," she whispered as she undulated against him.

Luke dragged his tongue slowly up to her clit and circled it tenderly as he slipped first one and then two fingers into her. "Mmm hmm," he hummed against her sensitized skin.

"Oh, Luke, don't," she gasped.

Luke lifted his head and asked, "Don't?"

"Don't stop," she corrected quickly.

"Ah, okay," he said as he lowered his lips to her again. He sucked gently, drawing her clit into his mouth and laving it with his tongue as his fingers steadily sent her up.

"So sexy, so hot," she panted as he devoured her.

"Yes," he murmured as he looked up to watch her face. "You are," he said as he flicked his tongue over her teasingly.

Lorelai pressed the back of his head, holding him down on her as she arched up to meet him. "Please, please," she whispered. Luke groaned with pleasure as he licked her hard and fast, matching the strokes of his tongue to the rhythm set by his fingers. Lorelai watched him, aroused as much by the obvious pleasure he was getting from giving to her as she was by the sensations rocketing through her. "Oh, Luke, Luke," she said softly. "Oh God," she whimpered as she felt her orgasm bearing down on her. She ground against him in desperate need of release and cried out softly as she shattered around him.

"Oh yes," he moaned as she came hard and fast, drawing back to watch her as she peaked.

"Oh my God, oh my God," she panted as she slowed. Luke continued to stroke her gently, bringing her back to Earth with soft sighs of his own and tender kisses along the inside of her thighs. "I can't believe we just did that," she whispered as she tried to pull him up to her.

Luke chuckled and said, "Me either."

"That was," she trailed off lamely.

"Crazy?" he asked as he smiled up at her.

"Hot, sexy, and extremely naughty," she said with a smile.

Luke smirked as he tried to straighten the skirt of her dress and said, "You can ground me later."

"Oh, you're grounded, Mister," Lorelai said with a laugh. "Confined to the bedroom for the rest of the night."

"Damn, 'cause I had plans," he said as he kissed her neck.

"What kind of plans?" she asked with a grin.

"You'll never know now," he said shaking his head.

"Okay, well, just so you know, I plan on getting you drunk every night," she warned.

Luke nodded as he flopped back onto the seat and said, "Okay, but why?"

"You're bad when you're drunk," she said shaking her head with a sly smile.

Luke looked over at her and said, "I'm bad when I'm sober. I just control it better."

Lorelai slapped his knee and said, "Well, stop that."

Luke jerked his chin at the window and said, "Almost home."

"A good way to pass the time," Lorelai said with a giggle.

"Beats the license plate game," Luke agreed as he bent down, scooped up her panties and shoved them into his pocket.

"Uh, those were mine," she pointed out.

"You won't need them," he told her blandly.

Lorelai raised her eyebrows and asked, "How do you figure?"

Luke shrugged and said, "The minute we hit the door, that dress is coming off."

"Pretty sure of yourself, aren't you?" she teased.

"Pretty sure I need to have you naked," he said calmly. As they entered Stars Hollow, Luke pulled his keys from his pocket and said, "You get the door, I'll tip the driver," as he handed the key to the diner to her.

"You just go around handing your keys out to anyone, don't you?" she teased.

"As long as it gets me one step closer to you naked in my bed, yes," he said with a nod.

"You only want me for my body," she said with a mock pout.

"Yes, because that makes up for all of your other quirks," he said with a snort.

Lorelai scooted away from him and said, "I think I'll go home."

Luke looked over at her and said, "No, you won't." Lorelai rolled her eyes and stared out of the window petulantly. Luke leaned over and said, "You're just as crazy about me as I am about you."

"Maybe," she grumbled.

"You are," he whispered in her ear as he pressed the button to lower the partition. He gave the driver directions to the diner and then took Lorelai's hand and raised it to his lips. When she looked over at him, he looked up through his lashes and said, "I love everything about you, Lorelai."

"No fair," she whispered as her heart melted.

Luke smirked and said, "All's fair, you want love or war?" He kissed her as they pulled up in front of the diner. When the driver opened the door for them, Lorelai slid out with a blush tingeing her cheeks. Luke stood up unsteadily and pulled two twenties from his wallet. He slipped them to the driver with a gruff, "Thanks," and flowed Lorelai to the door. He smirked when he saw that she was having a hard time fitting the key into the lock, and gently took them from her wobbly hands.

When he slid the key home Lorelai grinned and said, "You're much better at inserting things than I am."

Luke rolled his eyes and said, "Get in there," as he held the door open for her to enter.

After he locked the door behind him, Lorelai turned to him and asked, "What are the odds of me getting some co…"

Luke cut her off with a kiss and then said, "Getting some? I'd say good."

"Coffee," she finished.

"Slim," he said shaking his head and walking her backwards toward the stairs.

"But possible?" she asked hopefully.

Luke shook his head and kept his hand firmly on her back as he guided her toward the curtain. "Not probable."

"But Luke," she whined.

"You've had enough to drink for one evening," he teased.

"But, coffee will sober me up," she argued.

"That's a myth, and who said I wanted you sober?" he asked with a grin.

"Bad man, taking advantage of a poor drunk girl like me," she pouted as he nudged her through the curtain. When it swung closed behind them, Luke pressed her up against the wall and kissed her hungrily, his tongue teasing hers as he poured heart and soul into his kiss. Lorelai giggled and said, "Seriously, Luke," only to be cut off with another searing kiss. Grasping her wrists, he pressed them to the wall above her head, holding them there with one hand. "Oh God, you are serious," she murmured.

"Stop me now," he growled as a warning.

"No way," she said breathlessly.

"Last chance," he warned.

"I'll take it," she whispered. "I really like you like this," she said as she rubbed sinuously against him.

"Like what?" he asked as he nipped at her jaw.

"All hot and demanding," she said with a giggle.

Luke leaned into her, his lips hovering near here ear as he whispered, "You ain't seen nothin' yet."

Lorelai shivered as his warm breath washed over her. "Oh," she said in soft surrender.

"Let's go upstairs," he said as he released her hands, lacing his fingers through hers as he led her up the stairs.

He unlocked the apartment door and pushed it open, gesturing for her to step inside. The moment he crossed the threshold, Lorelai launched herself at him, kissing him hungrily as she tugged at his tie. Luke turned her, pushing her up against the shelves and urgently pressing against her as they grappled for control. Lorelai flailed a hand back to brace herself and knocked over a couple of his old track trophies. "Oh!" she gasped as she turned her head to inspect the damage.

"Forget it," Luke said gruffly as he slid her jacket form her shoulders and found the zipper pull on the back of her dress.

"I think I broke one of the little guys," she said sadly.

"Collateral damage," he grumbled as he slipped the spaghetti straps from her shoulders and let the dress fall to her feet.

Lorelai looked down in surprise and said, "Man, you work fast when you want to," as she stepped out of her heels and kicked them aside.

"Motivated," he grunted as he pressed his lips to her throat, nipping and sucking at the tender skin as he unhooked her strapless bra with one hand.

"And oddly coordinated for a drunk guy," she said with a laugh as she reached for the buttons on his shirt, fumbling them.

"Forget 'em," Luke said as he pulled the shirt up over his head, yanked his hands from the sleeves and flung it aside.

"Forgotten," Lorelai said as she ran her hands over his bare chest.

Luke ran his hand over her bare bottom and gave it a squeeze before he reached for his belt buckle. Lorelai brushed his hand aside and said, "Let me."

Luke nuzzled her neck and grumbled, "Be quick about it."

Lorelai laughed and said, "Whatever happened to Mr. Take-His-Time?"

"He's gone, you're stuck with me," he said as he cupped her breasts in both hands and squeezed them gently.

"I'll take you," she said as she unfastened his pants and pulled the zipper down. Luke toed off his shoes, and bent to take her nipple into his mouth as he pushed his pants and boxers down.

Luke released her with a grunt of frustration and muttered, "Stupid clothes," as he kicked them aside and pulled off his socks.

He stood back up and Lorelai draped her arms over his shoulders as she purred, "That was very sexy."

"Shut up," he grumbled with a chuckle as he kissed her.

"I love it when you talk sweet," she giggled.

"Got you naked, so I must be doin' something right," he said gruffly as he ran his hands down her back and over her ass. He cupped her, pulling her against him as he kissed her deeply. Lorelai moaned softly as she brushed against his hard body, feeling her taut nipples rub against the soft hair of his chest. Luke spread his feet apart and tugged on her thighs a little as he grunted, "Up."

Lorelai smiled and hopped up, wrapping her legs around him as he cradled her ass in his hands. He staggered a little and she giggled, pressing her lips to his neck as she said, "Probably not a good idea."

"Great idea," he answered as he turned and walked quickly to the bed, dumping her onto the foot of the bed with a little less finesse than he would have liked.

Lorelai's hair spread out around her as she laughed with pure delight as she said, "Not so coordinated, after all." She reached up to beckon him to her. "Come here, sexy seducer man," she giggled.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly as he stretched out beside her, running his hand over her flat stomach.

Lorelai turned to look at him and said, "Don't be. I have never laughed so much with anyone as I do with you."

Luke blinked and said, "I'm not sure that made sense."

"It means I'm nuts about you," she said with a grin.

"Oh," Luke said as he rolled over on top of her. "I thought maybe you were just nuts," he said with a grin.

"That too," she answered. "You must be the guy Sade was singing about," she said as she traced his lips with her fingertip.

"What?" he asked, nipping at her finger.

"A smooth operator," she said with a smile.

Luke smirked and said, "That's me."

"I want you," she said softly.

"You have me," he answered as he kissed her softly. A moment later, he deepened the kiss, demanding her response. He shifted to the side a little, pressing his erection against the soft curve of her hip as he cupped her breast again, running his thumb over her nipple. He groaned into her mouth as pinched her between his fingers, rubbing the hardened nub a little more roughly than usual.

Lorelai arched into his touch, asking for more. Luke tore his mouth from hers and shifted own to take her aching nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it and drawing on her as he squeezed the soft swell of her breast in his hand. "God, Luke," she whispered. "Oh, harder," she urged, cupping his head to her breast. Luke obliged, sucking deeply as she writhed beneath him. He released her abruptly, his chest heaving as he turned his head to lavish the same attentions on the other breast. As he suckled her, he pulled her leg up onto his hip, sliding his hand up the back of her thigh, and teasing her as the tips of his fingers brushed against her sex.

"God, I want you," he panted against her breast.

"Take me," she whispered. Exhaling sharply, Luke lifted himself up, holding her leg against him as he pressed the head of his cock against her. Lorelai looked up at him with lust filled eyes and whispered, "Fuck me, Luke."

Luke's eyes widened for a second and then he thrust into her roughly. At Lorelai's small cry of pleasure, he smiled slightly and asked, "You like this?"

"God, yes," she panted, clawing at his back and shoulders.

He pressed into her, sheathing himself in her heat and groaning as he felt her muscles contracting around him. Lorelai looked up at him looming over her and her breath caught in her throat. She had seen Luke aroused dozens of times, she had seen him wild and a little out of control, she had seen him fiercely determined to seek her pleasure before giving into his, but she had never seen him like this. This was different, animal, almost primal. He stared down at her with a smug look of possession that should have offended her feminist sensibilities, but instead, flamed the heat of desire building in her. He drove into her with a reckless abandon that should have left her wanting for the sweet affection that he usually showered her with, but instead, made her feel more loved than ever before. The joining of their bodies should have felt the same as it had many, many times before, but instead, felt more real, more raw, more pure than ever.

He watched the emotions playing over her face, but was helpless to decipher them. All he could feel was the heat. The teasing licks of the flames that had long threatened to consume him, were unleashed as he thrust into her. "Lorelai," he gasped as he felt her squeezing his cock tightly, tensing her muscles and trapping him in a velvety vise. He looked down into her eyes, saw the same desire, the same need reflected there, and the flames turned into an inferno. "Mine," he grunted as he stroked her faster, shifting his weight so that he entered her from above, the shaft of his cock rubbing against her clit with each thrust.

"God, Luke!" she moaned as the force of his thrusts inched her toward the foot of the bed.

"God, yes," he groaned as he felt her clenching around him. "Go, let go," he demanded with an edge of desperation in his voice.

"Oh," she moaned, unwilling to give in to the inevitable yet.

"Come, Lorelai, come for me," he said breathlessly. "Oh God, please," he groaned as she struggled to hold back his own release.

His plea was enough to send her hurtling toward the edge, she fisted the sheet in one hand, tugging it free from the mattress and squeezed his shoulder with the other, her nails biting into his skin. "Luke!" she screamed, gasping for air as she broke apart.

"Ah, fu.." he grunted as she squeezed him. "Jesus, Lorelai," he groaned as he surged into her. "Oh, urggh," he grunted as he began to fill her, pumping into her hard and fast. "Oh God, oh God," he panted mindlessly as he began to slow.

Lorelai looked up and smoothed her hand over his sweaty brow, soothing him with her gentle caress. She shook her head slowly and said, "It's Lor-e-lai."

A laugh bubbled from Luke's chest as he tried to catch his breath. "Oh yeah, that was it," he teased as he opened his eyes and looked down at her, his arms trembling as they bore his weight. He lowered himself to his elbows, trying to keep some of the weight off of her, but unwilling to break the connection yet. He searched her face and asked, "You okay? I didn't, uh, hurt you?" he asked anxiously.

"Did that sound like a scream of pain to you?" she asked with a smile.

Luke chuckled and said, "To be honest, I'm not sure if I would have noticed or not." He ducked his head and kissed her sweetly. "I don't want to hurt you," he murmured against her lips.

"You didn't," she assured him.

"Little rough," he murmured as he pressed kisses to her jaw.

"A little hot," she countered.

"I may never move again," he said as he pressed his forehead to hers.

"You stay right here," she told him as she ran her hands up his back.

"Squish you," he mumbled as he nuzzled her hair.

"I'm tougher than that," she said with a laugh.

Luke shook his head slowly and said, "Soft, sweet."

Lorelai smiled and said, "Drunk, sexy."

"Yes, you are," he tried to say in a sober tone.

Lorelai laughed and said, "I meant you."

"I'm not drunk," he scoffed as he lifted his head and blinked at her blearily. He smiled and said, "Maybe a little." He sighed and said, "I should move."

"Not yet," she whispered, holding him close to her.

He looked around and said, "We're at the wrong end."

"Who cares?" she asked.

"Right," he sighed. He kissed her tenderly and asked, "Did I tell you how proud I was of you tonight?"

"Yes, you did, and I believe I just thanked you for it," she said with a giggle.

Luke lifted his head and stared down at her seriously. "Very proud, very happy for you," he said gruffly. "Very happy to be with you."

"Oh, Luke," she sighed as she ran her fingers through his hair. She shook her head and said, "I couldn't have done it without you."

Luke shook his head emphatically and said, "Yes, you could have, and would have."

Lorelai stilled him by placing her hand on his cheek. "No, Luke. I needed you. Your advice, your tips on running your own business, your support and encouragement," she said sincerely. "We won't even mention the loan, because that was the smallest part of everything you did to get me where I am right now. You always believed in me," she said softly.

"I always will," he promised.

They lay quietly, still locked together. Luke buried his face in her neck, inhaling her scent as she rubbed her foot over the back of his leg. A few minutes later, she heard him start to snore softly and smiled. "Luke?" she whispered in his ear.

"Unh," he answered.

"If you're going to sleep, we should probably move," she said as she stroked the back of his head languidly.

"Uh," he said as he lifted himself from her and rolled to his side, draping his arm across her, and weighing her down.

A minute later she asked, "Luke? Where's the blanket?"

"Too warm," he muttered sleepily.

"I'm cold," she whispered. Luke groaned and pulled the bunched up sheet out from under him and tossed it over her. He pulled her close, warming her body with his as he snuggled in. "Luke, we have no pillows," she whispered.

"Shh," he answered, rubbing his hand over her hip. "Shh," he repeated as he drifted off to sleep.

Lorelai smiled and propped her head on her arm as she closed her eyes and followed him to dreamland.

XXXX

The phone rang and Luke snatched it from the cradle, tucking it under his chin as he delivered a plate to the counter. "Luke's," he barked into the receiver.

"It's a girl," Lorelai said happily.

Luke smiled as he caught the receiver in his hand and said, "A girl, huh? Everyone okay?"

"Everyone is perfect," she answered. "I'm gonna hang out here for a little bit more. Are you coming over tonight?" she asked.

Luke rubbed his neck and said, "I have an early delivery tomorrow. Can we stay here?"

Lorelai chewed the inside of her cheek as she glanced around the waiting room. "Maybe I should just go home, it'll be late, and you'll be ready for bed," she said with a sigh.

"No, no, come here," Luke insisted.

"I don't have anything packed," she said, thinking aloud.

"I can run to your place and get some stuff for you," he offered.

Lorelai bit her lip and said, "Well…"

"No, really. I know what you have here and what you need. I'll go pack a bag and bring it back here, and you just come straight here," he said quickly.

"Okay," she said with a soft smile. "You don't mind?" she asked.

"It was my idea," he reminded her.

"Okay, I'll see you there in a little while," she told him.

"I'll be here. Tell Sookie and Jackson I said congratulations," he told her. "Oh, what's her name?" he asked.

"Martha," Lorelai answered.

"Martha, huh? Well, good thing Davy's name isn't George, isn't it?" he teased.

"I'll tell them you said so," Lorelai said dryly.

"No, don't," Luke said quickly.

"Oh, I am," she teased.

"Just tell them I said congratulations," he said firmly.

"You'll never know what I told them," she said with a laugh. "See you soon," she said softly.

"Soon," he answered as they hung up.

XXXX

Lorelai poked her head into his apartment that night and found Luke already in his pajamas drinking a glass of water at the sink. She smiled as she watched him down it in three large gulps and said, "Mmm, hydrating."

Luke jumped slightly and spun toward the door. "Hey, you're here," he said as a smile spread across his face. "How's Sookie?" he asked.

"Exhausted but ecstatic," she reported as she dropped her purse on the table and kissed him hello.

"And, uh, the baby?" he asked.

"Martha," she reminded him. "She's beautiful," she said with a smile.

"I'm sure," he said gruffly.

"Did you get me some stuff or do I need to run home?" she asked.

"Right there," he said pointing to the duffle bag on the couch.

"Cool," she said as she unzipped it and started to rummage through the contents. She frowned and said, "Uh, Luke?"

"Yeah?" he answered.

Lorelai pulled out a handful of bras and dumped them onto the couch as she continued to look in the bag. She started to giggle and said, "Um, I think you forgot something."

"What?" he asked as he peered over the back of the couch.

"Pants?" she asked. "Underpants? Any kind of bottom?" she said with a laugh.

"Yeah, uh, I felt a little weird going through your underwear drawer when you weren't there," he said uncomfortably. "I just grabbed a handful of stuff and shoved it in there," he explained.

"Oh, okay. Well, at least if my bra strap snaps, I have a few to choose from," she said as she held up a handful of lacy bras.

"I got you a clean shirt," he pointed out.

"I see that," Lorelai said as she pulled a cheer chiffon blouse from the bag. She smiled at him and said, "Perhaps a little risqué for day wear."

Luke grimaced and said, "Sorry. It was harder than I thought it would be."

"That's okay, but I hope that you know that this means another one of your flannels will be claimed," she said as she shook her head slowly.

"What about the one you usually wear?" he asked.

"At my house, and I see that it didn't get packed either," she said with a grin.

"I got that cream stuff you put on your face at night," he told her as he pointed to the bag.

Lorelai smiled as she leaned over to kiss him and said, "Yes, you did very well in the toiletry department."

"I'm not good with clothes," he grumbled.

"Yeah, I think I know that now," she teased.

Luke gestured to the closet and said, "Have at it."

Lorelai strolled over to it and studied the array of plaid flannels hanging neatly on the rod. She pulled a green one from the hanger and saw him wince, smiling to herself as she strolled into the bathroom with it because she knew that it was one of his favorites. "So, uh, Hon?" she called as she ran the water in the sink.

"Yeah?" Luke answered as he poured two more glasses of water.

"Um, wait, let me brush my teeth first," Lorelai said as she put off the conversation she knew they had to have for a few more minutes. Luke carried the glasses to the bed, placing one on each nightstand and turning on the bedside lamps. He turned off the kitchen lights and padded back over to the bed where he folded the sheets down neatly before slipping between them. Lorelai washed her face and smoothed on her moisturizer, mentally rehearsing what she had to say to him. She stripped off her clothes and pulled on the flannel, sighing as the soft material caressed her skin. She turned out the bathroom light and dropped her clothes in a pile on top of his dresser. Taking a deep breath, she knelt on her side of the bed and swung her legs under her to sit facing him. "So, you remember a couple of weeks ago when I had that sinus infection?" she asked nervously.

"Yeah. What's the matter? Are you feeling sick again?" he asked as he rubbed her arm.

"Oh, no, no," she assured him quickly. "Um, you remember when I was taking the antibiotics, and we talked a little about how we would need to use, um, back up, you know, for a little while?" she asked awkwardly.

Luke looked at her questioningly and said, "Uh, yeah."

"Well, you remember the other night? The night of the party?" she asked leadingly.

"Oh, yeah," he said with a smug grin.

Lorelai wrinkled her nose and said with a wince, "We may have forgotten to call for back up on that one."

"What?" he asked, confused. "Oh!" he muttered as the light came on. He looked at her wide eyed as his heart began to hammer in his chest. He sat up quickly and asked, "Do you think you might…"

"Oh, no," she said with a careless wave of her hand, shaking her head emphatically.

"Oh," he said, suddenly hit with a wave of unexpected disappointment.

"I'm sure we're fine," she assured him as she patted his leg.

"But," he stammered.

"Hon, it really would be a long shot," she said quickly. "I just, I wanted to talk about it, because, well, not that we get plastered and jump each other every night, but," she babbled.

"But you don't think you are," he said, trying to get some clarity.

"I'm pretty sure I'm not," she said with more confidence than she felt. "I mean, that's the last thing we need, right?" she asked with a nervous laugh.

"Right," he murmured, automatically agreeing with her.

"Right. And, things are really good with you and me now, and I'm sure we're fine," she said quickly.

"Oh, okay," he said as he sank back down to the pillows, trying hard not to let his disappointment show.

"I think we just need to be a little more cautious, that's all I'm saying," she said with a nod.

"Yeah, got it," he answered gruffly.

"No need to worry," she said with a smile.

"Not worrying," he said with an uncertain smile of his own.

"Super careful," she said with a nod.

"Maybe we should just abstain," he said, trying to mask the edge of hurt in his voice with a laugh.

"Hey now, don't get carried away," she warned with a grin.

"I'm just saying, that's the best way to be sure," he said flippantly.

"Now you're just talking nuts," she said as she swatted his arm. She stretched out next to him, cushioning her head on his shoulder as she asked, "What did you do today?"

Luke's mind raced as he thought of all of the hoops he had jumped through in securing the Twickham house for a future that it sounded like she wasn't even interested in sharing. "Oh, not much. Taylor and Kirk, you know," he said gruffly.

"Oh, poor baby," she said as she turned her head and kissed his scruffy cheek. "You want me to rough them up for you?" she offered.

"Nah, I can handle them," Luke said softly.

"Tired?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said with a sigh.

Lorelai nodded and leaned over to kiss him gently. "You mind if I watch TV?" she asked.

"No, go ahead," he said with a nod. He gave her another quick kiss and rolled away from her, turning off the lamp as she reached for the remote. He heard her flipping through the channels as he stared at the wall blankly, trying to sort out what had just been said and what it all meant.

He tensed slightly when Lorelai reached over and casually rubbed his hip. "Oh, sorry, didn't mean to startle you," she whispered.

"It's okay, 'night," he said softly as he closed his eyes and tried to will himself to sleep, trying desperately not to read too much into this.

"Goodnight," she whispered as she snuggled down into her pillow, pleased that he had taken the possible pregnancy scare so well and relieved that she wasn't left with a puff of smoke and a baseball cap spinning on the floor.


	18. Home

**A/N: Well, this finishes out S5. I hope that you enjoyed it. I am still a little torn over doing S6. I have purposefully tried not to change the actual storyline in any of these episodes, and since we all know what that means for S6, I think I will leave it up to those of you who have been reading this story. What do you think, should we explore that one or not? Can we handle the ick of it all, or should I just leave well enough alone?**

**Home**

Luke stared out of the window, his face blank with shock as he watched the Jeep pull away from the curb. Rory had been arrested. Rory had stolen a yacht with that little rich punk and now she had been arrested and has to go to court. He sank down into a chair, rubbing his palms against his jeans nervously. Lorelai has to be a wreck. Rory has to be a wreck. They can't just survive on donuts. As the thoughts swirled around in his head, Luke leaned forward and rubbed is eyes with the heels of his hands. He pushed himself up, needing to do something, anything. He needed to help fix this. After all, that's what he does, right? He helps to fix things. He started for the kitchen and then paused. Mashed potatoes, he thought with a nod. They reheat better than fries. Oh, and a couple of burgers. Macaroni and cheese, he added to the menu as he stepped into the kitchen and started preparing. He pulled the day's leftovers from the fridge and began spooning them into containers. He formed a couple of hamburger patties and tossed them on the grill, knowing that he would have to clean it again later.

Thirty minutes later, he paused with his foot on Lorelai's porch steps, suddenly unsure of whether he should knock or not. The lights were off except for their bedroom lamps. He looked down at the bag of food in his hand and wondered if he should use his shiny new key to slip in the back door and leave the food in the fridge. He saw Rory's light go out, and decided he would do just that. As quietly as possible, he walked around to the back of the house and slipped his key into the back door, wincing to himself when he found that it was unlocked anyway. He stepped into the room, moving slowly to let his eyes adjust to the lack of light. He found the handle to the fridge and pulled it open; blinking at the light that momentarily startled him and shoving the bag of food onto a shelf. He froze and tensed when he heard someone say behind him, "You, of all people, should know that there is absolutely nothing of value kept in there. You're a crappy burglar."

Luke spun around to see Lorelai lounging against the doorframe in her coffee cup pajamas. "Hey, I brought some food," he whispered.

Lorelai smiled at him and said, "You are, however, an excellent provider."

"I didn't mean to bug you," he whispered.

"Close the door and come upstairs," she said softly as she turned to leave the room.

Luke closed the refrigerator door and followed her as far as the staircase. "Rory's home," he hissed to her retreating back.

Lorelai turned on the step and said, "Trust me, I am really not in the mood tonight. You're safe."

Luke sighed and bent to unlace his boots, leaving them by the stairs as he had that night Lorelai had sneaked him up to her bedroom only to be caught by Rory. He followed her up that stairs saying, "Okay, but if she gets up, I'm going off of the roof."

Lorelai turned at the top of the stairs and said, "She won't get up. I'm betting she never wants to leave her bedroom again, knowing Rory." As they entered her bedroom, Lorelai sighed and said, "I don't know, maybe I don't know Rory. Never in a million years would I have believed that I would pick my brilliant, bright, beautiful daughter up at the Bridgeport police station," she said as tears began to fill her eyes.

Luke quickly pulled her to him, holding her tightly as she began to cry. "Shh, shh," he soothed. "Everything will be alright. It has to be some kind of mix up. We'll get it straightened out," he murmured.

Lorelai shook her head, burrowing her face into the soft flannel as she said, "No, Luke. It's no mix up. She did it. She and Logan stole that boat."

"I'm gonna kill that little…" Luke growled.

She choked on a sob as she gasped, "It was her idea!"

"No, Lorelai, no," Luke murmured as he pressed his lips to her hair.

"Yes, Luke," she said angrily as she pushed away from the warm comfort of his chest. "Yes, Luke, it's true, it was," she said looking him in the eye.

"I can't believe this," he whispered, his voice cracking slightly.

"Believe it," she said with a bitter laugh as she rubbed her hands over his flannel clad chest. "It's a felony. A felony, Luke," she said brokenly.

"We'll get her a lawyer. The best lawyer we can find," he assured her. "We'll get her away from that kid and home for the summer, and we'll do whatever we have to do to fix this," he said firmly.

"It's not just Logan," Lorelai told him.

"What? There's another guy?" he asked, shaking his head in confusion.

"Well, not like that. The big problem is Mitchum," she said, spitting out the name venomously.

"Mitchum?" Luke asked.

"Huntzberger, Logan's dad. The one who gave her the internship, remember?" she prodded. She turned from his arms and took his hand as she walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. "That bastard actually told her that she didn't have it," she said angrily.

"Have what?" Luke asked as he sat next to her.

"It. What it takes. That magical quality that only he can see in people that tells him whether they have what it takes to be a journalist," she said gesturing wildly.

"Doesn't have what it takes?" he asked blankly.

"Yes, Luke, yes. He said she didn't have it," she said impatiently.

"Lorelai, I'm sorry, but I'm just trying to get the whole story here," he said as he took off his cap and ran his hand through his hair.

Lorelai drew in a deep breath and turned to face Luke. "I'm sorry. Okay, apparently, today Mitchum sat Rory down and gave her a performance review. Basically, he told her that she was wasting her time trying to be a journalist, that she didn't have what it took to make it," she explained. "Rory, being Rory, took this to heart. As you can imagine, she was a little upset at having this big, important, publisher guy tell her that her lifelong dream was a mistake," she said as she stood up and began to pace in front of him. "She was supposed to go to his daughter's, Logan's sister's, engagement party tonight, which was being held on their yacht," she told him. "She got there, saw Logan, and apparently convinced him that it would be a good idea if they swiped a yacht and sailed off into the sunset," she finished, hanging her head in disbelief.

"Unbelievable," Luke murmured.

Lorelai nodded as she lifted her head to look at him sadly. "She believes him. Mitchum. She believes that he's right," she told him.

"He couldn't be more wrong," Luke said with conviction.

Lorelai reached out and stroked his stubbly cheek. "Sweet guy. Unfortunately, you and I do not count as credible experts in this case," she said softly.

Luke nodded and turned his head to kiss her palm. "Maybe not," he said with a sigh. "Maybe not, but we have to do something," he said worriedly.

"I'm going to talk to her some more tomorrow. She has to go back and finish her finals still," she said as she sank back down next to him.

Luke wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. "You want me to come over and make you guys breakfast? Maybe we can tag team her," he suggested.

Lorelai thought for a moment and then said, "No. Thank you, though. I think we shouldn't make any bigger deal out of this than it already is. Let's play it low key," she said as she rubbed her hand over his denim covered thigh. "I don't want to reinforce Mitchum's credibility, and I don't want her freaking out over this yacht thing too much until we know what she's facing," she said softly. She glanced up at him and said, "I'll just feed her Pop Tarts and send her back to school as if this didn't matter. Try to lighten it up a bit."

"Okay," he said doubtfully.

"We'll deal with it when finals are done, and she's had a few days to clear her head," Lorelai told him.

"Whatever you need," he started to say.

"I know," she said as she snuggled her head into his neck. "You're really good that way," she said softly.

"I really care about you. And Rory," he said gruffly.

"I think I picked up on that," she said with a small smile. She looked up at him and asked, "Stay here a little bit? Just, uh, be here?"

"Sure," he said softly as he kissed her forehead.

They stretched out on the bed, and Lorelai rested her head against his chest, toying nervously with the buttons on his flannel as he stroked her back. Lorelai listened to the steady strum of his heart and closed her eyes, thinking about how his heartbeat was the one thing she could count on to calm her. She took a deep breath and said quietly, "It's all happening. All of the things I was afraid of."

"Yeah," Luke agreed as he trailed his fingers through her hair. "I think it's time to yank her back into this world," he said softly.

"Yeah, me too," she answered.

"You know, you do have one really big thing going for you, though," he said in a more hopeful tone.

"What's that?" she asked.

Luke shrugged a little and said, "You and Rory have always been so close. You can talk about anything. Most parents don't have that with their kids," he pointed out. He tightened his hold on her, hugging her comfortingly. "You guys will talk it out. Everything will get back to normal," he said confidently.

Despite her waning confidence in her ability to talk to Rory, Lorelai took comfort in his absolute belief in her relationship with her daughter. She thought that maybe this, something so big, would be what it took to break through that wall that had gone up between them last May. She smiled softly and said, "Yeah, we're lucky that way."

XXXX

It had easily been the most bizarre day of her life. First, she had gotten up sent Rory back to Yale after trying to tease and joke her into a better frame of mind. She'd had to deal with an inn overrun with crazy cyclists, sweating and stretching all over the lobby. And then Luke came over to fix the banister, and there was the freaky argument they'd had on the stairs about Mike Armstrong's offer and someone's kids. She had been distracted by a guest and missed him when he left after making the repairs she had asked him to. Rory called and asked her to meet her at Weston's and Lorelai jumped at the chance to escape the insanity for a little while. Little did she know, that her daughter was only going to add to the surrealistic quality of the day by telling her that she was tossing away everything they had worked for Rory's entire life.

She sighed as she pulled back the blankets and crawled into her bed. She glanced at the clock and smirked when she saw that it was only 8:30, but she couldn't handle any more. She just wanted to go to sleep and forget that Rory had called and left a message on the machine saying that she was going to stay at Yale for another couple of days. Lorelai tried to take it as a good sign. Hoping that maybe by hanging out on campus for a few more days, Rory would remember why she was there in the first place. But, Lorelai wasn't about to leave anything up to chance. She steeled herself to do the one thing she knew she could do to keep Rory in school. She was going to enlist the help of her parents.

She glanced at the phone sitting on her nightstand and thought about Luke. She hadn't heard from him after the argument at the Dragonfly, which was unusual. She picked up the phone and stared at it for a minute, trying to determine if she had enough strength left to deal with whatever was eating him at the moment. She began dialing, knowing that she was taking the chicken's way out as she waited for the answering machine in his apartment to kick on. She drew a deep breath, and forced a cheerful tone into her voice as she said, "Hey, it's me. Sorry, crazy, crazy day, huh? Listen, I know you're upset with me for some reason, but I'm not really sure why. I just, it's been such a long day, and," she paused. "It's not that whatever you're upset about isn't important to me, but, I'm kind of tapped out right now," she said with a rueful chuckle. "Can we talk tomorrow? Please?" she asked nervously. "Or, whenever you're ready," she amended quickly, trying not to push him. "I'm just, I'm gonna go to bed. I just didn't want to, you know," she said awkwardly. "We'll talk whenever you want to," she said with a sigh. "Okay, goodnight," she finished as she hung up. She rolled over and put the phone back on the nightstand as she grumbled, "Stupid answering machine. Turns me into a babbling idiot every time."

XXXX

The next afternoon, Lorelai stopped by the diner to grab a cup of coffee, and hopefully smooth whatever this was over with Luke. As she slid onto a stool, he came out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel. He stopped when he saw her there and said, "Oh, hey."

"Hey," she said with an uncertain smile.

"Coffee?" he asked as he reached for the pot.

"To-go, please. The inn is crazy with all of these bikers," she said quickly.

"Yeah, they're making me nuts," Luke grumbled.

"I thought it would get better when all of the riders were gone, but I guess not," she said with a shrug.

"They're coming back here. They circle the state and end up back here," Luke grumbled as he put the lid on her cup and placed it on the counter.

Lorelai looked up at him and asked, "Are we okay? Did I do something wrong?"

Luke shook his head and said, "No. We're fine. You're fine. It's just, things have been nuts," he finished lamely.

"Yeah, they have," Lorelai agreed.

"How's Rory?" he asked in a quiet voice.

"Oh, she's fine. Well, not fine, but she will be fine," Lorelai said quickly. "She's just really upset and confused right now. Not thinking clearly," she said with a sad smile. "It will be okay, though. I've talked to Mom and Dad about what happened, and they're going to help out. Get her a lawyer and stuff," she said in a low voice.

"Good," Luke said with a nod. "She home now?" he asked.

"Uh, no, she's spending a few more days on campus. Wrapping some stuff up," Lorelai said vaguely. "She should be home this weekend," she told him.

"So, do you want to do something tonight?" he asked, shoving his hands into his back pockets.

"Oh, no, I can't," she said apologetically. "I'm working tonight until midnight," she explained. "Um, we have dinner tomorrow night with my parents. How about Saturday?" she asked him.

"Saturday it is," he said with a nod. "I'll bring you some dinner tonight," he told her.

"Oh, that's sweet, but you don't have to," Lorelai told him. "Sookie has pot roast on the menu," she explained.

Luke raised his eyebrows and said, "Well, I can't compete with that. Maybe I should have dinner there," he teased.

"Hey, why don't you?" Lorelai asked quickly. "You can come and eat with me," she said with a nod.

Luke rubbed his neck and said, "Well, I was thinking that if we weren't going to do anything tonight, I'd give Caesar the night off."

"Oh, well, yeah. Let him have a wild Thursday night off," Lorelai said with a wave of her hand as she stood up to leave. "You'll call me later?" she asked with a quick smile.

"I will," he assured her.

"And, we're okay, right?" she asked nervously.

"We're okay," he said gruffly as he leaned over to peck her lips. "I'll call you tonight," he promised.

""Kay," she said with a relieved smile as she headed for the door. She pointed out of the window and said, "Hey, can you tell Taylor that there's a big hole out in the street? I almost lost a foot in there a little while ago. Bye, Doll," she called as she made her escape.

"Stupid hole," Luke muttered as he picked up his towel and began scrubbing the counter to work off his frustration.

XXXX

She had been driving for hours. She'd gotten lost on some country road, and wound around for hours, driving aimlessly as her mind raced. She couldn't get it out of her head. That look. The look on her baby's face as she turned from her and continued placing her books on the shelves in the pool house. She couldn't make sense of it. Where had she gone wrong? She stopped at a crossroads and looked at the sign which pointed her back to Hartford. "I need someone to tell me how it all went so wrong," she whispered to the stop sign. She hung a left and drove in the direction of Hartford, figuring eventually, she'd find her way back into familiar territory. Thirty minutes later, she was on the road to Stars Hollow, for the first time, pressing the accelerator and inching over the speed limit as she realized that she needed Luke. She needed him to talk to her. To tell her what had gone wrong. To tell her that her whole life, the time, energy and devotion that she had put into raising her daughter, was not wasted. It was late when she pulled up in front of the diner. The only people around were Taylor, Kirk, and a few volunteers who had stuck it out to the end of the race.

The bells jingled as she walked through the door, breathing a heavy sigh. She placed her coat on a chair and dropped her purse onto the table as Luke turned to look at her. She looked at him and said in a tired voice, "Rory dropped out of Yale."

"What?" he asked incredulously.

Lorelai smoothed the skirt of her dress under her thighs as she sat down and said, "She dropped out of Yale and she moved in with my parents, who I went to for help, and they stabbed me in the back," she said dully. Lorelai shook her head in disbelief as she said, "Everything we worked for. All these years. Her whole future. She was supposed to have more than me. She was supposed to have everything." She looked up at him with a small shrug and said, "That was the plan. We had a plan," she finished sadly.

Luke studied his shoes for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. Finally, he looked up and clapped his hands together, wringing his fingers as he said, "Okay, I'm sorry. I have to jump in here. Uh, I know you think you have this thing handled, but I can help." He took a deep breath as he began to pace and said, "First off, we call Yale and we tell them something like, uh, Rory had a chemical imbalance and she was mentally out of her mind when she told them she was dropping out." He drew another breath and said, "And then we get her out of your parents house whatever way we can. We lock her up in her room with you, because you can talk anybody into anything." he said pointing at her insistently.

Lorelai looked up at him, watching as he rambled on, outlining his plan to her. "And if worse comes to worst, we will drive her to school every day and we will follow her to class and camp out there to make sure she goes. I'll take morning classes, you take afternoon classes, or the other way around, if it works out better for your schedule. And I know there's a few kinks to work out, the kidnapping thing might be a little problematic but either way, she is not quitting school," he said emphatically. "This was her dream. I am not going to let this happen," he told her earnestly, pressing his hands to his chest. She knew then, in that moment. This was it. He was it. This was the man she needed. Not just tonight, but every night. She gazed at him, overwhelmed with the clarity of the moment. This was her dream. This was the life. That couple life that she had been searching for. They had been living it all of these months, and she hardly even realized it.

Luke drew in another deep breath, trying to calm himself as he looked down at her quizzically and asked, "What?"

She was unable to hold it in any longer. She was unwilling to play it safe for another moment. She looked up at him and asked simply, "Luke, will you marry me?"


	19. There Was a Moment

**A/N: Whew! Started the great debate with that last author's note, huh? First of all, I would like to thank each and every one of you who took a moment to share their thoughts and opinions. I know that there was a lot of stuff in S6 that was hard for most of us to swallow, but on thinking about it further, I think I can do this. There's a lot of good stuff there along with the bad, and I think I may be able to do some of this in a way that may not be so gut wrenching. So, I ask that you stick with me if you can. If you can't, I totally understand. I will not be doing each and every episode, and I can tell you that much of the latter half of the season will not be rehashed in depth. And, being me, I promise to end this story on a happy, hopeful note.**

**That being said, we'll start this off nice and easy. For those of you who were expecting the post-Zima scene, I am afraid that you'll be disappointed. (Did that all angsty in the 'Torn' chapter of Piece of my Heart) The last part of this episode was what I always wanted to see more of; Lorelai's mixed up emotions and Luke's moment… It's clean, because smutting this up would just be cheap and pandering to the masses, so I promise to do that on the next one! ;) **

**Anyway, I hope that you enjoy it.**

**There Was a Moment**

Lorelai walked into the house with her shoulders slumped. She dropped her purse and keys on the table, went to the kitchen and pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge. Pursing her lips she walked to Rory's door and turned on the light, peeking into the room for the first time since Rory left the day after the arrest. With a tired sigh, she sat on the foot of the bed and looked around the room sadly. Drawing a deep breath, she hurled the bottle of water against the wall and began to cry, covering her face with her hands and moaning softly in frustration and grief. She jumped a little when she heard the front door open and Luke call tersely, "Full moon! Moment's here! Let's go!"

Lorelai quickly wiped her eyes and sniffled. She got up, took a deep breath and tried to plaster on a happy face for Luke's sake as she walked out of Rory's room, turning out the light behind her. She smiled and said, "Hey," as she saw him hovering in the foyer.

Luke nodded and said, "Hey," as he reached for her hand. "Come with me," he said as he pulled her out of the front door.

"Where are we going?" Lorelai asked, stumbling over the threshold a little.

"Oh, sorry," Luke said as he caught her. He looked down at her in the porch light and frowned. "You've been crying," he said softly.

"I'm fine," she said quickly. When she saw the doubtful look on his face, she smiled wanly and said, "It's just, uh, weird day, that's all."

"What happened?" he asked gently.

"Nothing," she said quickly. When Luke stepped back and gave her a hard look, she winced and said, "Rory's court date was today."

"Today? Did I know that?" he asked. When she shrugged, he asked, "How did it go? Did she seem okay?"

"I don't know, I didn't go," she said softly.

"You really didn't go?" he asked in complete disbelief.

"I told you I wasn't," she said as she crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly. "My parents wanted this, they wanted to handle it without my input, and Rory obviously doesn't want it, so, no, I didn't go," she said as she jerked her chin up defensively.

"But, okay," he said in a placating tone. "Alright, I get that," he said as he rubbed his hand over his face. "So, have you heard anything? Do you know how it went?" he asked.

Lorelai blinked and said, "Uh, no, actually." She walked over to the porch swing and sank down on it. She laughed bitterly and said, "My mother called me to berate me for not being here when she came over to get the rest of Rory's stuff, but she never said how it went in court." She looked up at him blankly and said, "I took the rest of her stuff over there tonight and dumped it in my parent's bedroom, but oddly enough, no one said a word about it." She shrugged and said, "Just as well. I mean, you know how it goes when some rich kid gets busted for something like this. They'll give her a slap on the hand and a stern admonishment," she said facetiously.

"Some rich kid?" Luke asked in a bewildered voice.

"Well, she's not my kid anymore, she's theirs! It's their big do-over, Luke!" she said angrily as she got up to pace the porch.

"Maybe we should go inside," Luke said nervously.

"No, you said that the moon was full and the moment was here. Well, I'm here and you're here, let's have our moment," she said with an edge of hysteria in her voice.

Luke grimaced and said, "I think the moment is gone."

Lorelai shook her head and said, "I keep doing it wrong! How do I keep doing everything wrong?" she asked plaintively.

"Doing what wrong?" he asked.

"Rory, you, I keep screwing it up," she said as she turned away and pressed her hands to her temples.

Luke stood up and said, "Okay, first of all, you have screwed nothing up. Rory screwed up, and you were trying to help. Now, I don't agree with this hands off thing you're doing here, but we've already talked about that, and that's your decision," he said as he tossed his hat down on the swing and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "But, Lorelai, you're not screwing anything up. Especially not with me," he said as he stood behind her, gently taking her arms in his hands.

Lorelai whirled on him and said, "I proposed to you, Luke. It was supposed to be the other way around! But, no, I couldn't wait anymore! I saw you standing there, plotting to kidnap my kid and, God, Luke," she said as she fisted her hands.

"What?" he asked with a confused shake of his head.

"You are the one. I know that it probably scares the crap out of you to hear me say that, but it's true," she said desperately. "I just had to try. I had to try to make it happen," she finished lamely.

Luke blinked as he let what she said sink in. Finally, he cleared his throat and asked, "Did you think that it wouldn't if you hadn't asked?"

"I don't know," she said as she looked up at him searchingly. "Would it?" she asked.

Luke's lips twitched as he glanced down and said, "Probably not as fast as you would have liked it. But yeah. I mean, that's what I was planning on," he said gruffly.

"You were?" she asked.

"Didn't you wonder how I managed to answer so fast?" he teased. When she didn't crack a smile he sighed and said, "Lorelai, I bought us a house. For you and me, and Rory and our kids or plants or whatever we have. Granted, I should have talked to you about it first," he said with a wry smile. "But, don't you see, this is what I was planning on. This is why I freaked out when you told me that you were considering that offer," he explained.

"What offer?" Lorelai asked blankly.

"From the hotel guy that you had the meeting with," Luke answered.

"Mike Armstrong? The Durham Group?" she asked.

"Yeah, them," he said with a nod.

Lorelai shook her head and said, "Luke I wasn't seriously considering it, I was just toying with the possibilities."

"You said you were still mulling," he reminded her.

"Yeah, but," she sputtered. "Did you really think I'd just sell the inn and leave?" she asked him.

"Lorelai, if that's what you want to do, I don't want to be the one to hold you back," he said sincerely.

Lorelai sighed as she walked back over to the swing and picked up his cap before sitting down. She ran the bill under between her fingers, thinking about the day she had given it to him so many years before. She looked up at him as he lounged against the porch rail watching her carefully. "So, you were planning on us getting married and having a house and kids and plants?" she asked softly.

He looked down with a slightly bashful shrug and said, "Well, yeah."

"And I was worried that you weren't even thinking about that," she said with a twitch of her lips. "Man, we have some really great communication skills," she said with a laugh.

Luke smiled as he glanced down and nodded. He pushed off of the rail and moved to sit next to her on the swing. He gently took the cap from her hands and tossed it onto the cushion beside her as he took her hand in his. "But, we're both on the same page now," he said gruffly.

Lorelai looked over at him and said, "Yes, we are."

He lifted their hands to his lips and kissed the back of her hand softly. "I love you, Lorelai Gilmore. There is nothing I want more than to marry you and to have kids or plants, or both if you want," he told her in a low steady voice.

Lorelai looked up at him and said, "I'm not very good with plants."

Luke nodded and said, "Then we'll stick to the kid thing. You're very good at that," he said sincerely.

Lorelai smiled tightly and said, "Doesn't feel like it right now."

"Maybe not, but you know deep down that it's true," he told her with absolute confidence.

Lorelai looked at him wide eyed and said, "I can't believe how lucky I am to have you."

Luke smiled as he said, "This isn't really the moment I had pictured, but you know, I think this might be better." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring he had picked out for her. "If you tell anyone I did this, I'm cutting off your coffee," he grumbled as he slid off of the swing and knelt down on one knee. He smiled as Lorelai pressed her fingertips to her lips, trying to hold back both the laughter and the urge to babble. He still held her left hand in his as he looked up at her and said, "But if you say you want to marry me too, I'll make you coffee every morning. Marry me, Lorelai?" he asked in a voice husky with emotion.

She nodded, happy tears filling her eyes as she kept her fingers pressed to her lips. Luke slid the ring onto her finger and said, "I hope its okay. I saw it and thought it just looked like you." He stopped and looked up at her quickly as he asked, "That was a 'yes,' wasn't it?"

"Yes, yes, dear God, yes," she whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him firmly on the lips, sealing the deal. She pulled back and looked at him as she said, "Wait. What did you have planned?"

Luke shrugged and said, "Full moon, chuppah, stupid sappy speech."

Lorelai smiled at him and said, "I screwed it up again."

"I liked this better, more like you and me," he said as he stood up and started to pull her from the swing.

"Me too," she said softly as she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

Luke held her close, his hand smoothing her hair down her back as she clung to him, wrapped up in his comfort. He kissed her hair and whispered, "Let's go in."

"'Kay," she said softly.

As they turned toward the door, they heard Babette call out, "She said 'yes' right?" Laughter bubbled up from inside of Lorelai as Luke's head whipped around and he squinted into the darkness beyond the porch. A moment later, Babette approached the side of the porch at a trot and asked, "You said 'yes,' right, Sugah?"

"Right," Lorelai said with a nod and a giggle.

Babette looked at Luke and said, "Not so romantic on the proposal, but ya got down on your knee, which I really didn't think you'd do, so that made up for some of it. I gotta go. Congratulations, you two lovebirds!" she called as she turned to trot back over to her house to call Patty.

Luke turned back to Lorelai and growled, "Not funny."

"Very funny," she corrected as she opened the front door and led him into the house.


	20. Spoiling for a Fight

**A/N: Thanks everyone for your comments and feedback! Glad you're still with me!**

**Spoiling for a Fight**

Lorelai was driving humming distractedly with the radio when she spotted a crew working on the side of the highway. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a glossy brown ponytail and her heart began to pound as she drove slowly past her daughter. After a momentary debate, she pulled a u-turn and parked on the side of the highway. She got out of the Jeep and started walking toward Rory. "Repaying your debt to society, I assume," she said with more of an edge than she intended.

"That's what this is," Rory said shortly.

"System already hardened you?" Lorelai asked with an incredulous shrug.

"So, I guess congratulations are in order?" Rory asked snidely.

"So, how are things at the new digs?" Lorelai asked sharply.

"You guys set a date yet?" Rory demanded.

"Grandma redecorate the pool house yet?" Lorelai shot back.

"Be sure to send me a picture," Rory answered angrily.

"Be sure to send me a change-of-address card. Grandma can print them out for you, with a little fleur-de-lis," Lorelai said sarcastically.

Rory looked away as her mouth tightened. "I'm not supposed to be talking to outsiders," she said with an air of finality.

"Fine," Lorelai snapped as she spun on her heel and walked away quickly.

Rory called after her, "You and Luke getting engaged and not telling me about it? You hurt me."

Lorelai rolled her eyes at her daughter's injured tone and yelled, "Back at you," without breaking stride or looking over her shoulder. She climbed into the Jeep, slammed the door and cranked the ignition, her foot accidentally pressing on the accelerator and revving the engine, startling the worker closest to her. With a small wave of apology to the worker, she jerked the wheel and turned the Jeep around, heading back to Stars Hollow, and putting as much distance between her and her daughter as possible. By the time she hit the town square, she was positively seething.

The day hadn't started out well. First there was the incessant hammering that woke her, followed closely by the fight with Luke while he stood up on her roof and yelled at her. And as much as she understood why he told Rory about their engagement, she was still upset that he had. Apparently, so was Rory, judging by her tone and the angry words her daughter had hurled at her back. She pulled up in front of the diner, shoved the Jeep into park and yanked the keys from the ignition. She barged into the diner, swinging the door so violently that the bells jangled loudly and were almost pulled from the frame. She spotted Caesar standing behind the empty counter, frozen like a deer in the headlights. "Where is he?" Lorelai demanded. Wordlessly, Caesar pointed toward the store room. Lorelai strode through the deserted diner yelling, "Luke? Luke!"

"What? What's wrong?" Luke asked anxiously as he poked his head out of the store room.

Lorelai pointed an accusatory finger in his face and said, "You need to suck it up, learn to ignore the face and keep your big mouth shut! That's what's wrong!" Lorelai yelled as she stormed up the stairs to his apartment.

Luke reared back; meeting Caesar's stunned eyes as he peered curiously around the corner. "Cover the front," Luke snapped at him and ran up the stairs after her. "Hey!" he shouted catching up to her as she flung open the door to his apartment and threw her purse at the living room chair like a major league pitcher. "I don't know what set you off, but you do not get to come into my place of business and start screaming at me like that!" he said as he closed the apartment door behind him.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" she demanded. "She's my daughter!" Lorelai shouted as she poked her chest with her finger. "Mine!"

Luke blinked as he jerked back and said, "I'll tell you who I am, I'm your fiancée, and I'm gonna be her step-father!"

"You aren't yet," she spat at him.

Luke visibly flinched as her words hit home. "No, but I've been in Rory's life a hell of a lot longer than you've been sleeping in my bed!" he yelled. "You don't get to define my relationship with her; she's not a child anymore. She came in here to see me," he roared.

"And to mine information about me," Lorelai retorted. "Which you were more than happy to provide for her, regardless of what I wanted," she said snidely. "She's my daughter! I say how I want to handle this!" she screamed.

"You're not handling it!" Luke shouted, throwing his arms out in frustration.

"I am!" she screeched, balling her fists at her side.

Luke looked down at her clenched fingers and asked snidely, "What? You wanna hit me? Go ahead." He stepped closer to her and said, "I'm a real asshole to want the one person who is most important to both of us to know that we're finally taking the big step," he sneered. "You gonna hit me, Lorelai. Will it make you feel better?" he taunted.

Lorelai snapped with a strangled, "Arrrrgh," and began to pummel his chest with her balled fists. "Why? Why would you tell her? Why would you give her that ammunition? You know she wants to hurt me," she sobbed as he encircled her wrists with his hands and held them, halting her assault.

"Hey! Hey," he said, softening his tone as she struggled against his grasp. "Hey," he said quietly as she began to still, sobs working their way up from deep inside of her. "She doesn't want to hurt you," he said, his voice breaking as he let go of her hands and wrapped his arms around her tightly. He drew a deep breath as he felt her shudder in his arms. "No one wants to hurt you," he whispered as her hands flattened against his chest, and she gave in to his embrace.

"She's so angry," she said, her voice muffled against his shoulder.

"Everybody is too angry," Luke said softly.

"She stood there and looked at me like," she said, her breath hitching as she choked on the words. "She, oh God," Lorelai said as she pressed her face into the soft flannel.

"When? Where? Did you see her today?" Luke asked gently.

Lorelai nodded and murmured, "Picking up trash on the side of the road."

"Community service," Luke said with a nod. "You talked to her?" he asked.

Lorelai blew out a bitter laugh and said, "If you can call it that. We exchanged some words."

Luke nodded as he stroked her hair and said, "I see."

"She's really upset about the engagement," Lorelai said as he leaned back and tried to wipe her eyes with her fingers.

"Oh," Luke said softly.

Lorelai looked up at him and saw the hurt on his face. "Oh no, not that we're engaged, that we got engaged and didn't tell her," she said quickly.

"But, I did," Luke said with a frown.

"That I didn't," Lorelai corrected with a shrug. She gave him a watery smile and said, "Congratulations, you were right."

"I don't want to be right," he said gruffly. "So, you guys had some words and then you thought you'd stop by and unleash the rest of it on me?" he asked.

Lorelai pursed her lips and said, "Well, you started it."

Luke snorted and said, "Did not!"

"The face, the Rory face," she mocked.

"You should have told her," he answered pointedly. "You know what? I take it back, I do want to be right," he said as he crossed his arms over his chest. He sighed and said, "Lorelai, I'd take a lot of crap from you because, well, you're you, but, you don't get to do this to me. You don't get to get angry at the world and then scream at me." He gave her a stern look and continued, "If you have a problem with me, then we can discuss it in private. Hell, we can scream at each other all night long if you want to, but not in public," he said with a stubborn tilt of his chin.

"Shut up," she sneered as she gave his chest a shove.

"Excuse me?" he asked, raising his eyebrows and not even bothering to sway at her ineffectual shove.

"I said, shut up," she repeated slowly as she grabbed the back of his head and pulled him to her for a crushing kiss, knocking his hat to the floor.

Luke stepped back and asked incredulously, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Lorelai reached for a handful of his shirt and said, "I am nothing but pent up frustration. I just figured I'd try to find a more creative way to blow off some steam," she said as she stepped into him again. She pressed her lips to his again; softening the kiss just enough to lull him into a false sense of security before she touched her tongue to his lips. The minute he parted his, she grasped his head in both hands and held him there as she poured all of her anger and frustration into her kiss. Her fingers grappled with the buttons of his flannel, but meeting only with more frustration. With a grunt, she popped the last few off as she pushed him back against the bookshelf and pushed the shirt over his shoulders.

Luke grasped her arms and set her back from him as he panted, "Jesus, Lorelai!" He searched her face with his eyes and found only need and determination. "What is this?" he asked.

Lorelai jerked her chin up and said, "This would be the part where you just take it like a man," as she leaned into him again.

Luke snorted and asked, "What? Are you going to force me?"

"Do I need to?" she asked as she raked her nails down his t-shirt.

"It's the middle of the day," he said blankly.

"I know, classic afternoon lull. Does it only work after dark?" she asked as she ran her nails over the fly of his jeans. She raised her eyebrows and looked up at him as she said, "Apparently not."

"You're nuts," he said with a laugh. "You think you're gonna come in here, scream at me in front of my employee, try to beat on me, and then you think I'm gonna have sex with you?" he asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Your lips say 'No, no,' but something else is saying, 'Yes, yes,' I'm afraid," she taunted.

Luke laughed shortly and said, "Yeah, well, it doesn't have a brain."

"That's okay, I don't need your brain for this," she said as she reached for his zipper.

"Lorelai," he growled in a warning tone.

"Shut up, Luke. You know you want it too," she said as she reached into his fly and found the opening of his boxers. She let her fingers play over his growing erection as she looked up at him and whispered, "You're not stopping me."

His eyes darted around the room for a moment before he murmured, "You may be crazy, but I'm not."

Lorelai smiled at his capitulation and said, "Good, one of us should keep our cool." She leaned up and kissed him hungrily again as she pulled her hand out of his jeans and began unbuckling his belt. Luke watched her passively as she bent her head to her task. When she unbuttoned his jeans, she looked back up at him and asked, "You gonna play too?"

Torn, Luke looked down at her and asked seriously, "Is this what you really want?"

Lorelai shrugged and said, "Beats yelling at each other for no reason."

"I think I had reason," he said as he grabbed her by the waist and turned her around, pressed her up against the shelves, and unleashing a little of his own frustration as he kissed her hard.

"I say we try a little hand to hand combat," Lorelai said as she stripped the flannel down his arms.

"Could get bloody," he growled as she pushed his t-shirt up over his stomach.

"Let's hope so," she breathed as she touched his warm skin.

Luke kissed her again, pressing her head back as she bowed back against the book shelf. Lorelai reared back as she tugged the shirt off of his arms and pushed the t-shirt the rest of the way over his head, tossing them across the room. Luke's tongue pressed demandingly into her mouth as he pushed at her jacket, grunting in frustration until she lowered her arms and let him shove it down her arms. He jerked her shirt up over her head and bent to nip at her taut nipples through the lace of her bra. Lorelai braced her hands on his shoulders, her fingers digging into the smooth skin as he tugged at her breasts with his lips, teeth and tongue. His fingers grappled with the clasp of the bra, clumsy in his haste to get to her skin. When he finally released it, he yanked it down her arms and bent to catch her nipple between his teeth. Looking up at her, he bit down gently and groaned as she cried out. He sucked her nipple deep into his mouth, laving it with his tongue as his hands kneaded her waist. Finally, he released her, wrapping his arms around her legs as he straightened up and picked her up over his shoulder.

"Luke!" she gasped in surprise as he carried her over to the bed and dropped her down on it with a bounce.

He reached for the button of her jeans and asked, "Isn't this what you wanted? No slow kisses, no soft touches." He yanked down the zipper and began tugging her jeans over her hips. "You don't want me to love you, Lorelai," he said in a throaty voice as he pulled her jeans and panties down her legs.

"No," she said as she reached for him.

"No, you just want a little angry make up sex, right?" he taunted as he pushed his own jeans down. "Should I even bother taking my boots off?" he asked facetiously.

"Luke," she said softly.

"Probably not," he said with a shrug as he knelt on the edge of the bed and pressed her legs apart. "No sense in bothering with the little things, just a waste of time," he said as he stretched out over her, resting his weight on her and pressing the head of his cock to her entrance.

"Luke," she said again, trying to get his attention.

"You're right, a good fuck should make us both feel better. Ease the tension a bit. We could have just gotten a massage," he grunted as he began to push into her. "But, this is cheaper and way more convenient," he said gruffly.

"Luke!" she said as she pressed on his shoulders to stop him.

"What? What, Lorelai?" he snapped. "I'm just giving you what you said you wanted. Getting the frustration out," he said as he pressed against her again. "Or maybe you'd like to try hitting me again," he suggested with a smirk. "Didn't do much for me, but maybe it made you feel better," he said with a shrug.

"Stop it," she hissed.

"Oh, you changed your mind?" he asked as he pulled back slightly, still pinning her to the bed. When she blinked at him in stunned confusion he said, "Oh, wait, I'm sorry, this was your show." He rolled over and sprawled out on his back. "There ya go, have at it," he said with a wave of his hand.

"Luke," she said as she rolled up onto her side and pressed her hand to his chest.

"Sorry, but this is as good as it's gonna get, I think," he said with a smirk. "I'm not really into this sort of thing, but it should be good enough," he said with a quick nod.

"Stop!" she shouted. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry," she said softening her voice.

Luke nodded, pursing his lips together as he rolled up off of the bed and pulled up his pants. "I tried," he said as he zipped them up, keeping his back to her.

"Luke," she said pleadingly.

He shrugged into his t-shirt and grabbed another flannel from the closet as he said, "I've gotta get back to work." He stopped as he buttoned the shirt and said, "I'm sorry Lorelai, but I can't be your punching bag." He nodded as he looked down to be sure he was put back together. "Good thing I didn't take my boots off," he said as he scooped his hat up off of the floor and strode from the apartment, slamming the door behind him.

XXXX

When she still hadn't appeared an hour later, Luke handed the dining room over to Lane as she started her shift and said, "I'm out for the night." He climbed the stairs two at a time and wondered if she had sneaked out of the back door without him hearing her. When he walked into the apartment, he found her sitting on the couch, dressed again, and waiting with her hands pressed between her knees. "You're still here," he said with a mixture of relief and trepidation.

Lorelai looked down at her bare feet and said, "You were right. I wanted to take it out on you."

"I noticed," he said as he stepped closer to her cautiously.

Lorelai squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them as she said simply, "I'm sorry."

Luke sat down next to her and said, "I know."

Lorelai shook her head and said, "I don't want it to be like that between us."

"It isn't, that's what the problem is," he said quietly. He sighed and said, "You know, I'm all for a little hot and heavy sex when the time is right. You want to mix a little frustration in with it, I'm okay with that too, I guess, if it's not, uh, misplaced," he said with a chuckle. He rubbed his hands together as he measured his words and said gently, "But this wasn't about you and me, and that's not right, Lorelai."

"I know," she said with a nod. She wrinkled her nose as she looked over at him and said, "Bad day."

Luke nodded and said, "Yeah." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her back, pressing her head into his neck. He trailed his fingers over her arm gently as he asked, "Wanna try for a better night?"

Lorelai nodded and said, "I'd like that."

Luke nodded toward the refrigerator and said, "I'll see what I can whip up for dinner."

Lorelai shook her head and said, "No, you've have a rough day too. Let's get a pizza or something," she suggested.

Luke nodded and said, "Do you want to go back to the house?"

Lorelai nodded and said, "I left Paul Anka alone."

"Okay," Luke said as he pressed a kiss to her temple. "Get your shoes on and we'll go," he said as he lifted his arm from her shoulders and bumped her knee with his knuckles.

XXXX

They sat curled up on the couch, Lorelai snuggled against Luke's side as the pizza box stood empty on the coffee table. Luke toyed with the ends of her hair as Lorelai watched some show about home decorating. She gestured to the TV and asked, "What do you think about those colors for the bedroom?"

Luke made a face as he looked at the puke green and poop brown room and said, "Uh, no."

"What color do you want, blue to match your eyes?" she teased.

Luke shook his head and said, "No, to match yours."

Lorelai smirked and said, "Aren't we just precious?"

"Adorable," Luke said with a snort.

Lorelai sat up a little and said, "So let me ask you this. When we finish the renovations to this place, are you planning on moving in here, or do you want to wait until after the wedding?" she asked.

"I hadn't planned on anything yet, and since we don't know when we'll get married, I'd say that the living arrangements are open to discussion," he answered cautiously.

Lorelai nodded and said, "You have a future in the diplomatic corps." She turned to face him and said, "Okay, let me put it this way. When the construction is done, will you move in here?" she asked.

Luke nodded and said, "If you want me to."

"I do," she said as he turned and settled back under his arm.

"Then I will," he said firmly.

Lorelai rubbed her nail against the seam of his jeans distractedly as they both pretended to be interested in the show again. A few minutes later, she said, "Okay, well, let me ask you this one," as she kept her eyes glued to the television.

"Uh huh?" he asked.

"If I asked if you wanted to go upstairs and make un-angry, un-frustrated love to me, would you be willing to do that?" she asked.

Luke nodded slowly and said, "I would be more than happy to do that."

Lorelai turned to look at him and said, "I just really want to be close to you right now."

Luke kissed her gently and said, "I just really want to be close to you all of the time."

Lorelai turned of the TV and picked up the pizza box as Luke locked the front door and turned out the living room lights. He flipped on the upstairs light and asked, "Does the dog need to go out?"

"Oh, yeah, probably," Lorelai said as she looked over at the furry lump of dog at the foot of the stairs.

Luke sighed and said, "Get me his leash."

Lorelai grimaced and said, "He hates the leash."

Luke looked over at her and said, "I am not taking him out unless he's on a leash. I refuse to chase that crazy mutt all over the neighborhood."

Lorelai grabbed the leash from the hall table and said, "Okay, but don't put it on him until after you carry him down the steps."

"Carry him?" Luke asked incredulously.

"He's scared of stairs," Lorelai said with a shrug.

Luke rolled his eyes as he snatched the leash from her hands and muttered, "I can't believe I'm doing this," as he picked up the bundle of fur.

Lorelai held the front door open for him and said, "He probably just needs to tinkle."

Luke carried Paul Anka down the porch steps and clipped his leash to the collar before he released his hold on the dog. He glared up at Lorelai and said, "Do not use the word 'tinkle' with me ever again."

Lorelai laughed and said, "Oh, sorry. He probably needs to, uh, take a whiz," she said in a deep voice.

"Better," Luke grumbled as he followed the weird dog around the front yard.

"I'll be upstairs when you boys are done," Lorelai called with a waggle of her fingers before she disappeared from the doorway.

Luke sighed as he looked down at Paul Anka and said, "Do your thing, man, so I can do mine." He chuckled to himself and muttered, "Dirty." After five minutes of wandering and sniffing, Luke plated his feet and said, "Okay, either pee now, or hold it. We're done here." As if he understood, Paul Anka ambled around a little more and finally deigned to lift his leg. "Thank you," Luke muttered as he looked up at the night sky. He walked back to the steps and grunted as Paul Anka stopped stubbornly at the bottom step. "Oh, for God's sake," Luke mumbled as he picked up the dog and carried him back into the house. He unhooked the leash and tossed it onto the table as he told Paul Anka, "You two are a perfect match, both nuts." He locked the front door again and switched off the table lamp as he headed for the stairs.

When he walked into the bedroom, he was saying, "You would pick out the one dog… Uh, hello," he said as he stopped dead in his tracks.

Lorelai walked slowly toward him in a baby blue satin nightgown edged with black lace that barely skimmed her thighs. "What about my dog?" she asked softly.

"Nice doggie," Luke answered with a grin as he reached out to stroke her hip. "Nice PJs," he growled in her ear.

"You like it?" she asked with a smile.

"It's a winner," he said as he ran his hand over her waist

"I thought that maybe, after what happened earlier, you could use a little treat," she said as she nipped at his neck.

"And I don't even have to sit up and beg?" he asked with a grin.

"No, but you may have to roll over," she teased.

"Give me a minute?" he asked, nodding toward the bathroom.

"Yes, but not much more than that," she warned.

"Right back," he said as he ducked into the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face. He grimaced into the mirror as her ran his hand over the stubble on his face, but decided that Lorelai probably wasn't going to be patient enough to give him time to shave. He tossed his hat to the vanity, pulled off both shirts at once and smoothed his hair back down. He took off his boots and socks, leaving the pile on the bathroom floor as he opened the door and turned out the light. His eyebrows shot up as he saw that Lorelai had turned back the comforter, and was stretched out provocatively on her side, running her hand over the sheets as she waited for him. He walked over to the bed and looked down at her with a smile. He knelt on the bed and planted a hand on either side of her as he opened his mouth and panted playfully.

Lorelai rolled onto her back and giggled as she smoothed her hand over his hair. "Good boy," she praised softly.

"Okay, enough of that," Luke said quickly. "Otherwise, you'll take this to a very weird place," he grumbled.

"You're probably right," she said with a solemn nod.

Luke lifted one hand to trace the lace edge of the nightgown and said, "You look beautiful."

"I probably don't pretty things up for you enough," she said with a small smile.

Luke shook his head and said, "You're pretty enough on your own. This is nice, though."

"Come here and kiss your girl," she said softly.

Luke smiled as he lowered his head and kissed her softly, letting his lips brush across hers gently before he deepened the kiss the slightest bit. He groaned softly as he dropped to his elbows and framed her face with his hands. "Lorelai," he whispered softly as he kissed her over and over again.

"Luke," she answered as she ran her hands up over his back, feeling the muscles tense and ripple beneath her touch. "I love you," she sighed as he pressed tiny kisses to her face and jaw.

Luke kissed her deeply and then said, "I know. And you know that I love you. I always will, Lorelai," he said as he looked into her eyes.

"We're okay?" she asked in a hushed voice.

"We're fine," he assured her with a solemn nod.

"Okay," she said as she breathed a sigh of relief. He kissed her again, angling his head as she parted her lips and invited him in, massaging his tongue gently with hers and letting him draw the kiss out as long as he liked. She arched against him, reveling in the feel of his warm, hard body against hers, locked in the safety of his solid, steady embrace. She welcomed his weight as he shifted to run his hand over the satin warmed by the combined heat of their bodies. "Oh, Luke," she sighed as he pressed his lips to her neck, nibbling his way down to her shoulder and sucking gently at the hollow of her collarbone. She ran her fingers through his soft hair, tangling them in the curls at the nape of his neck as she massaged his shoulder with her other hand.

Luke shifted down to press warm wet kisses over the freckles on her chest, nuzzling her at the point where the gown dipped between her breasts. He kissed the soft swell peeking over the lace and whispered, "Do you mind if I leave this on?"

Lorelai's lips curved in a smile of pure feminine pleasure as she murmured, "I don't mind." Luke pressed his lips to the taut outline of her nipple and sucked on the satin teasingly. Lorelai moaned and said, "On second thought, maybe I do."

Luke shook his head slowly, letting his lips brush against the sensitive satin covered nub as he said, "Too late, you said yes." He nipped his way down over her stomach, catching the material between his teeth playfully as he looked up at her boldly. "I like the feel of this on you. It's silky, but your skin is too," he murmured as his hand slipped down to caress her bare thigh. Lorelai whimpered softly in anticipation as he slid down between her legs and pressed his mouth to the creamy soft skin of her inner thigh. "Tastes like honey," he whispered.

"Lotion," she gasped as he drew the skin into his mouth and sucked hard. He kissed his way up her thigh, brushing up under the hem of the gown and pressing her legs apart with his hands. He groaned as he touched his tongue to her folds and she opened to him with a long sigh. He parted her with his tongue, drawing it slowly across the tender skin, and smiling with satisfaction as he felt her legs quiver under his hands. He flicked his tongue out to touch her clit teasingly and felt a surge of pleasure as she moaned above him.

"Mm hmm," Luke hummed softly as he pressed his mouth to her, licking her clit with firm strokes as she began to undulate against him, her hand cupping the back of his head. He drew her into his mouth sucking gently and laving her with his tongue as he ran his fingers along her slick folds teasingly.

Lorelai moaned again, arching up into him and desperately seeking the fulfillment she craved. "Please, Luke," she panted.

Luke shook his head slightly and pulled away from her. Smiling gently at her groan of frustration, he unzipped his jeans and pushed them down, stripping his boxers off with them. After he kicked his legs free he climbed back over her, and stared down into her eyes as he pressed himself to her entrance. Lorelai reached around his back and pulled him down closer to her, forcing his weight onto his elbows without breaking eye contact with him. Luke pressed gently into her, releasing a long held breath as he sank into her heat. He brushed a curl from her face and said in a deep gravelly voice, "This is how it's meant to be."

"Yes," she answered simply as she held him to her.

He began to move slowly inside of her, his eyes on hers, their bodies pressed together. He let it build slowly, ignoring her small grunts of frustration and taking his time, savoring the feel of each stroke as she enveloped him. As he increased the pace, Lorelai made a little squeaking noise in her throat with each stroke of his cock. "Okay," he asked softly.

"Perfect," she answered as she lifted her hips to meet each thrust of his hips. "Oh, God, perfect," she moaned. Luke closed his eyes momentarily as he felt her tensing around him. He forced them open again and drew in a ragged breath as he watched her reaching for her climax. He thrust a little harder, pressing a little deeper with each stroke until she gasped, "Luke!" He continued to move inside of her steadily as he watched her break apart, strangled little moans catching in her throat as her nails pressed into his back, scoring the smooth skin.

"Lorelai," he sighed as he pressed into her a little faster and gave himself over to her, pouring into her and whispering her name over and over. He buried his face in her curls as she wrapped her arms around him tightly, holding him close to her firmly, and refusing to let him move. Finally, he murmured, "Can't breathe," as she loosened her hold on him fractionally.

She looked up at him as he smoothed her hair back from her face with his fingertips, gently stroking her hairline. She swallowed thickly and said, "I'm sorry about earlier."

"Done, forgotten," he murmured.

Lorelai's lips quirked into a rueful smile as she said, "Sometimes it just hard to be the guy standing there."

Luke nodded and said, "Puts you in the line of fire."

Lorelai grimaced and admitted, "I was a little mad at you."

Luke nodded and said, "Yeah, well, I got a little mad at you too."

"We make up well," she said with a small shrug.

"Very well," he agreed.

Lorelai turned her head and looked at the plywood covering her bedroom wall. "I can't wait until you move in here," she said softly.

Luke chuckled and said, "We spend almost every night together now."

"I want every night," she said stubbornly.

Luke reached for her left hand and kissed the knuckle just above her engagement ring. He raised his eyebrows and said, "Once again, it looks like you're gonna get what you want."

Lorelai raised her head to kiss him gently on the lips. She smiled as she flopped back against the pillows and said, "Sometimes, it's pretty good to be me."


	21. Puppy Love

**Puppy Love**

Luke woke up, and sat on the side of the bed with a soft groan. He glanced back at Lorelai, who was still sleeping and gripped the edge of the mattress as he tried to get his bearings. He looked at the shaggy lump of fur on the rug and stared to be sure that Paul Anka was still breathing. He pushed himself up from the bed and shuffled to the kitchen sink. He poured himself a glass of water and stood there as he gulped it down. Lorelai rolled over when she felt his weight lift from the bed and watched him for a moment. "Hey," she said in a sleep raspy whisper.

Luke turned and said quietly, "Hey. Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you. Go back to sleep," he said as he started walking back over to the bed.

"No, it's okay. I like to watch you hydrate," she said with a small smile.

"Oh, man," Luke groaned as he tried to work the kinks out of his back. "When did you get home? I didn't hear you come in," he told her.

Lorelai nodded and said, "Yeah, you were conked out pretty good."

"Oh yeah," Luke agreed.

Lorelai glanced at the sleeping dog and corrected herself. "Both of you," she said as she sat up on the bed.

"Yeah," Luke said gruffly as he stood at the side of the bed.

Lorelai looked up at him and asked, "How did it go with Paul Anka last night?"

Luke took a deep breath and said, "Well, first off, he ate three pounds of unsweetened baking chocolate, so I had to rush him to the vet," he informed her. "To his house because the animal hospital was closed, and he forced some sort of vomit-inducing medicine down Paul Anka's throat, and then Paul Anka proceeded to throw up for the next hour and a half." When Lorelai frowned in concern, he continued, "After that I sat with him for another three hours, holding a bowl of water under his nose to make sure that he was re-hydrating properly, and then I chocolate-proofed the apartment and the diner to make sure that never happens again," he said dryly. Lorelai gazed up at him lovingly as he took another breath and said, "And now I'm gonna go downstairs and make Paul Anka some scrambled eggs because the vet said that the kibble is gonna be a little hard on his stomach for a couple of days. Does he have any particular fear of cheddar? Cause I thought I'd throw that in to make it taste better," he asked.

"Luke?" she called, trying to turn his attention from her dog to her.

"Yeah?" he answered.

Lorelai looked up at him as she said quietly, "I don't want to set a wedding date until things are right with Rory."

Luke nodded his understanding and said simply, "Okay." When he saw her look of relief he asked, "So, the cheddar is?"

"Okay," she assured him.

Luke nodded and turned to head downstairs as Lorelai flopped back onto his pillow, closed her eyes and spent five minutes trying in vain to go back to sleep. Giving up, she stared blankly at the ceiling for a few minutes while Luke was down making Paul Anka's eggs. She rolled to the edge of the bed and looked down at the dog curled up on the rug. "Hey," she whispered. Paul Anka's ears perked up and he opened his eyes, but he did not lift his shaggy head. "Aw, poor baby," Lorelai said as she lazily hung her arm over the side of the bed. Paul Anka sighed and crawled doggie commando style over to the side of the bed, placing himself within reach of her fingers. "I'm sorry you don't feel good," she said as she softly stroked his fur. "Chocolate is good for Mommy, but bad for you," she told him sternly. "I guess you know that now, huh?" she asked with a smile. She looked down into his trusting brown eyes and said, "Poor Daddy, huh? For a guy who says he doesn't like dogs, he must like you a little bit," she said with a smile.

"No, I like you," Luke said as he walked back into the apartment with a small plate of eggs sprinkled with cheddar cheese. He leaned down and placed the plate in front of Paul Anka. "I'm not his daddy, I just didn't want to be the guy who killed your crazy dog," he grumbled as he straightened up and looked down at her with his hands on is hips.

"Do you have to open?" she asked him.

Luke shook his head and said, "I called Caesar last night. He just got here."

Lorelai pulled the covers back and said, "Get back in bed."

Luke shrugged and said, "I won't be able to sleep anymore, anyway."

Lorelai smiled and said, "I didn't say to go back to sleep, I said to get back in bed."

Luke smiled as he shook his head and crawled back under the covers. He looked over at her and said, "You overestimate my abilities if you think I'm going to have any energy after nursing your suicidal dog back from the brink of death."

"I didn't say to get in bed and do me," she teased as she ran her hand over his t-shirt. "Although, I am always open to the possibility," she amended quickly. She kissed him gently and whispered, "Thanks for taking care of him."

"You're welcome. Sorry he got sick," he said as he brushed her hair back and tucked it behind her ear.

"I think he has probably learned his lesson," she said in a somber tone.

Luke chuckled and said, "That vet is probably gonna start crossing the street when he sees me coming."

Lorelai smiled and asked, "A little demanding, we're you?"

"Panicked," he said with a nod. "I was afraid that if I killed your dog, you'd dump me," he told her.

"Well, that would be grounds," she said with a nod. "Lucky for you that I still like you a little more than him," she said with a smile.

Luke grinned and teased, "Shh, he'll hear you." He wrapped his arm around her as she snuggled down onto his chest and asked, "What time did you get in?"

"Three-ish," she answered with a yawn.

"You need more sleep," he said sternly.

"I'm good with this," she said as she plucked at his t-shirt distractedly. "Are you okay with the waiting thing?" she asked softly.

Luke kissed her head and said, "Yes. I want Rory to be a part of it too," he told her.

Lorelai nodded and slipped her hand under his shirt to rub his stomach. "I don't want you to think that I'm not planning, you know," she said quietly.

Luke nodded and said, "Well, now I know."

"Sookie has been after me," she told him.

He laughed and said, "God help you."

"Yeah," she said with a laugh. "She's afraid I'm gonna pull a Max again," she told him. Her hand stilled on his stomach as she looked up at him and said, "You know I'm not, right?"

"I know," he assured her.

"I just want everything to be right, and things can't be right until Rory is back on track," she said sincerely.

"I agree," he said. He took a deep breath and said, "Lorelai, one of you is going to have to make a move."

"I know," she sighed. "I'm just not ready to be the one," she told him.

They lay entwined, each lost in their own thoughts for a few minutes. Finally, Luke shifted a little, lifted his head and looked over the edge of the bed. "Were they good?" he asked Paul Anka. "You shaggy nut job," he added as he flopped back onto his pillow.

Lorelai smiled and said, "Aw, you love Paul Anka."

Luke shook his head and said, "Pure self-preservation."

Lorelai looked up and met his deep blue eyes with bright eyes filled with devotion. "Paul Anka loves you," she said softly.

He reached up to stroke her cheek tenderly as he said, "He's not so bad."


	22. The Gods Must Be Crazy

**A/N: Okay, before you start firing away… Yes, I could have gone dirty, but I didn't. It just seemed better this way.**

**The Gods Must Be Crazy**

Lorelai stared at the living room ceiling, waiting for the alarm to go off. The second it sounded, she quickly reached to shut it off and got out of bed. She walked over to the wardrobe rack that Patty had lent to her and pulled two dresses from the rod. She heard Luke stir and walked over to the bed, holding the dresses up for his inspection. "Which one goes better with a baby?" she demanded.

"I like the green one," Luke answered sleepily.

"It's not too sheer? Because I'm gonna be in a church," Lorelai worried as she bit her lip and looked at the dress again.

"Looks good from here," Luke said gruffly.

"Yeah, maybe," Lorelai said in a doubtful tone. She sighed and said, "Man, she's good. She's really good."

"Who?" Luke croaked.

"Sookie," Lorelai said impatiently.

"Ah," Luke grunted, his face still buried in the pillow.

"This whole baptism thing is just a ruse to get me and Rory together. She's played me! She's played me like a Stradivarius," she grumbled.

Luke shrugged and said, "So, don't go, then," as he rolled onto his back and hooked his arm up over his head.

"No! I've got to go," Lorelai said incredulously.

"Why?" he asked, scratching his stomach tiredly as he tried to wake up.

"Because she asked me to be a godmother. You don't say no to that," she insisted.

"Why?" he asked again.

Losing her patience, Lorelai explained, "Look! I know what she's doing. And she knows what she's doing. But no one else knows what she's doing, so on the slight chance that she's not doing what I think she's doing, which is actually just doing what she wants to do, then I will be the jerk who wouldn't be the godmother to her best friend's baby 'cause she thought something was happening that wasn't. And that will be the story everyone remembers, understand?" she asked.

Luke puzzled out what she had said and then answered, "I like the green dress." Lorelai blew out a frustrated breath and shot him a glare before she turned the glare on the two dresses in her hands. "Lorelai," he said softly.

"What?" she asked petulantly.

"Come here," he said as he reached out toward her.

"I have to start getting ready," she told him as she placed the two dresses back on the rack.

"Just for a minute," he said as he held out his arm.

She relented with a sigh and sat back down on the edge of the bed. Luke sat up and wrapped his arm around her waist to haul her back down to him "Luke!" she squealed as she struggled to get free.

Luke rolled over onto her to subdue her struggles and said, "I'm not going to be offended, because I know you're not mad at me. Would you just hold still and listen to me for a minute, please?" he asked.

Lorelai stopped trying to push him off of her and asked, "What?"

"I'm going to ask you for a favor," he said in a gentle tone.

"Okay," she answered cautiously.

"Okay, I want you to promise me that you will at least try to talk to Rory. Not fight, not bicker or try to one-up each other, just talk," he said firmly. "Would you do that, please? For me?" he added for good measure.

Lorelai looked up at him and then glanced away from his penetrating blue gaze. Finally, she cleared her throat and whispered, "I tried to call her. She's changed her cell number."

"You did? When?" he asked.

Lorelai still wouldn't meet his eyes as she said, "The other day. I was gonna watch that stupid Rosie O'Donnell movie, and I thought I'd call her." She turned her head to look at him and said, "She changed her number and didn't even bother to give me the new one."

"Maybe she thinks you don't want it," he said gently as he brushed a strand of hair from her cheek.

Lorelai sighed and said, "I don't know, maybe."

"Promise me that you'll try," he asked again.

Lorelai looked at him and said, "Don't make me promise."

"All I'm asking is that you try," he insisted. "Just try."

"I will try," she said softly.

Luke nodded and said, "Thank you."

"You're a good man," she said softly as she reached up to stroke his rumpled hair.

Luke smiled a little and shook his head. "I'm a selfish man," he corrected.

"How do you figure?" she asked.

"I want this fixed. I want things to be right again, and I want to marry you," he said gruffly. "See, purely selfish motives," he said with a wry smile.

"I don't know how you live with yourself," she said as she shook her head and stared at him lovingly.

XXXX

As the post baptism party was winding down, Lorelai glanced over at the diner and saw Luke moving from table to table. She sighed and pulled her sweater close around her as she shook her head and turned to walk home. She dragged her feet, heavy with disappointment. She was still so disappointed in Rory. She was disappointed in herself and her inability to get past it all enough just to talk to her daughter. Worse yet, she knew that she was going to disappoint Luke.

She changed into her sweats and took Paul Anka out to do his business. At a loss for what to do, she sat on the bed, leafing through the latest issue of In Style. A glance at the alarm clock by the bed told her that Luke wouldn't be home for hours. She flopped back on the bed and closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of Luke on the pillow and trying not to think too hard. Emotionally drained, she soon drifted off to sleep.

She woke up two hours later, got up and went into the kitchen to find something to soothe the gnawing in her stomach that demanded satisfaction. She pulled a couple of cartons of leftover Chinese from the fridge and looked at them speculatively. She turned and walked back into the living room snatched up the phone and called for a pizza. Wandering back into the kitchen she pulled a fork from the drawer and started on her cold Chinese appetizer. She went back into the living room and looked through the box of old tapes she was wanting to watch again. She popped in the one labeled 'Magnum P.I.,' which was actually the episode of 'Knots Landing' that she had told Luke about. She smirked through the commercials and marveled at the hair and shoulder pads featured on the show. Tiring of Chinese, she left the cartons on the bed as she paused the tape and went looking for something sweet. She dumped a bag of caramel corn into a bowl, and grabbed a package of red vines from the cabinet. She settled back on the bed, munching mindlessly as she tried to distract herself with the baby shower hostage situation.

When the doorbell rang, she grabbed her purse from the hall table and pulled the door open. "Hey, Joe," she said with a cheerful smile plastered on her face.

"Hey Lorelai. Early night, huh?" he asked as she handed him the money and took the pizza he held out to her.

"Gonna watch some movies," she said brightly. "See you later," she called as he turned to leave. She pushed the door shut and said to herself, "Yep, one big fat fun evening coming up."

She carried the pizza back to the bed and looked at the show on the screen. Since the 'Knots Landing' wasn't particularly doing it for her, she ejected the tape and reached for '21 Jump Street.' Instead, she grabbed 'Riding the Bus with My Sister' and stared hard at the tape. Resolutely, she shoved it into the machine and settled down to eat a slice of pizza. As usual, the scent of pizza drew Paul Anka near, and he jumped up onto the bed next to her. Lorelai looked over at him and whispered, "We won't tell Luke," as she reached for her slice.

Thirty minutes into it, she stared blankly at the screen as she fidgeted, Paul Anka had his head on her leg and her face was long and drawn with sadness. "It's not the same," she said quietly. She reached for a Red Vine and scratched Paul Anka's head as she bit into it with a sigh. She looked over as she heard the front door open and scrambled for the remote to turn the movie off. "Hey, you're early," she said as Luke stepped into the room.

Luke nodded as he took in the scene and said, "It was dead, so I left it to Caesar and Lane."

"Oh, you were busy earlier," she commented as he approached.

"Why is the dog on the bed?" he asked.

"We were just watching TV," she said innocently.

"Of course he has to lay on my side," Luke grumbled as he sat down. "I see you've had dinner," he said as he eyed the array of food with a look of disgust.

"Yeah, I had a nap and woke up hungry," she said with a shrug.

Luke nodded and said, "You didn't come by after the thing."

"Well, you looked busy, and I wasn't really in the mood to talk," she said with a grimace.

Luke looked at her and said, "Didn't go well, huh?"

She lifted a shoulder and said, "It was fine. It was what it was."

"I'm sorry," he said as he rubbed her knee gently.

Lorelai hung her head a little and said, "No, I'm sorry. I feel like I let you down. Let us down," she whispered.

Luke shook his head and said, "Lorelai, no."

"I really wanted to talk to her, you know?" she asked. "I just got all worked up about the phone thing and not having her number," she tried to explain.

"It's okay. It will be okay," he told her.

She smiled at him shakily and said, "You keep telling me that, and I really want to believe you, but I'm not so sure."

"What happened?" he asked.

"Nothing really," she told him. "It wasn't ugly or anything. It was just, I don't know, cool, I guess," she said softly. "We can't even work up to cold anymore," she said with a smirk.

"It'll get there," he said. "Not to cold," he amended quickly. "It'll get back to normal. I know it will," he told her sincerely.

"I know, but, ugh," she said with an exaggerated slump. "You know what? I'm so tired of talking about this, thinking about this," she said sincerely. "Can we do something else?" she asked plaintively.

"Sure, what would you like to do?" he asked, willing to do just about anything to make her happy.

"I don't know. I don't want to watch a movie or go to a movie," she said as she thought about it. "We could go for a drive," she suggested.

"It's dark," Luke pointed out.

"Well, I've already eaten everything I could get my hands on, so dinner is out," she said as she thought about it. "We could go for ice cream," she said with a nod.

"Sure, or we could just pump your stomach now," he answered as he looked at the array of food on the bed again. "Do you want to go shopping?" he asked with a look of pure dread.

Lorelai laughed and said, "No, I wouldn't do that to you tonight."

"I would go," he said defensively.

"I know you would," she said as she leaned over and kissed him sweetly. "Hey! We could go down to K.C.'s and hang out. You can do body shots off of me," she said as with an excited grin.

Luke nodded slowly and said, "Or, we could stay here and I could do them without the booze and the hangover."

"Takes some of the fun out of it," Lorelai said with a pout.

Luke grinned and said, "Not for me, it doesn't."

Lorelai smirked and faked a yawn as she said, "Same old, same old."

"Oh yeah?" Luke asked. "If there wasn't a buffet laid out on the bed I'd give you some of the same old," he growled.

"Promises, promises," she said with a wave of her hand.

Luke stood up and gathered the open Chinese cartons between his long fingers, and flipped the pizza box closed. He looked at Paul Anka and said, "Get off the bed."

Paul Anka blinked and hopped down, crawling under to bed to hide. "What are you doing?" Lorelai asked as he carried the majority of her food stash off to the kitchen.

"Clearing the bed," he called back over his shoulder.

"Luke, it's seven thirty, we can't go to bed now," she called after him.

He walked back in and said, "I didn't mean we were going to sleep," as he picked up the bowls and Red Vines and carried them off.

"Luke," she whined as he walked back into the room and started turning out the lights in the kitchen. "Hon," she said as he placed four bottles of beer on the table next to the bed. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Take your clothes off," he said as he squatted down in front of the DVD selection.

"Well, who could resist that subtle seduction?" she asked.

"I'm telling ya, they're gonna be in the way in a minute," he said as he pulled out the DVD he was looking for and put it into the machine. He tossed the case on top of the television and started turning off the lamps.

"I told you, I'm not in the mood to watch a movie," she whined.

Luke smirked as he started to unbutton his flannel and said, "We won't be watching it for long."

Lorelai blinked up at him owlishly and asked, "Have you been mixing your porn in with my DVDs again?"

"Yes, exactly," he said dryly as he stripped his t-shirt over his head.

Despite her skepticism, Lorelai found herself enjoying the view as she asked, "Are you gonna strip for me, baby?"

Luke pointed to the FBI warning on the screen and shook his head. "No, I'm gonna dance," he said with a smirk.

"You're gonna what?" she asked, truly confused. She was torn between watching to see what it was that he put in and watching him unbutton his jeans. He stripped them down his legs, pulled off his socks and climbed under the covers in nothing but his boxers. When Luke pulled his boxers off under the covers, she asked, "Why are you hiding your light under a bushel?"

Luke smirked and said, "No blinds, only sheers." He gestured to the screen as he said, "Look."

When she saw the title, 'Showgirls' on the screen she squealed, "Really?"

"Really, but I'm sticking to beer," he said as he held one up. "Strip and you can have one too," he told her with a pointed look.

Lorelai started peeling off her clothes as she said excitedly, "Okay, but you only get to drink when someone says, 'dancin' or darlin'' or when Elizabeth Berkley slaps someone."

"Got it," he said as he took a defiant drink of his beer.

"Hey!" she said as she wiggled out of her sweat pants. She crawled under the covers in her t-shirt and panties and quickly shed both items before she curled up against his warm body. "Hey, how do you figure we won't be watching it very long?" she asked.

Luke smiled and said, "You're naked and we're in a bed. It's doubtful that we make it more than fifteen minutes," he said as he handed her a beer.

She looked up at him and said, "I'm crazy about you."

"You're just crazy," he said as he wrapped his arm around her. When she kissed his chest gently he said, "Make that ten minutes."

"I give it five," she answered.


	23. The Magic of Moonlight

**A/N: Okay, here's your RDA of smuff. Enjoy!**

**The Magic of Moonlight**

Luke crossed the diner to open the door, but walked away without greeting her. "Hey, Grizzly Adams. Why are you back? The woods closed or something?" Lorelai asked in a worried tone.

Luke walked back over to the counter and continued to unpack his camping supplies. "No, they weren't closed. It was, I don't know. It's what it is," he said lamely. "Nature."

Lorelai smiled as she asked, "Nature? Nature is..."

Luke shrugged and said, "You know, it's there, I saw it. Trees, leaves, whatever," he said with an edge of impatience.

Lorelai watched him carefully as she said, "Okay, that's your second answer in the form of a haiku. Let's get beyond that. Why are you back?" she asked.

"Because I felt like coming back," he said as he held his arms out to the side. "I can't do what I want to do?" he asked, clearly irritated.

"Of course you can," she answered quickly.

"Good," he said shortly.

"But, camping is something you want to do," Lorelai told him, clearly not understanding why he seemed upset.

"No, it's what you wanted me to do," he answered pointedly.

"When did you turn against camping?" she asked.

"I didn't turn against camping," he said as he placed his hand on his hip. "I'm just trying to understand, why you were trying to get rid of me tonight," he asked as he fiddled with his thermos.

"I wasn't doing that," Lorelai said quickly.

"Well, you sent me off to the woods. What if I don't want to go off to the woods?" he asked petulantly.

"But you always want to go to the woods," she said.

"Well, I don't like going to the woods when I'm being banished to them," he argued.

"No one is banishing you," she replied.

"It felt like it," he said simply.

Lorelai blinked as she thought about it and said, "Well, then, that's my fault," as she sat down on a nearby stool.

Luke sighed and said, "Look, I like doing things with you. Surprised I have to tell you that."

Lorelai shook her head slightly and said, "You don't have to tell me that."

"I like going shopping with you, I like having dinner with Sookie and Jackson. The actual shopping seems a little pointless, and Sookie's kids drive me up a wall, but you're there, and I like hanging with you," he said sincerely.

"I know that," she answered.

"And, I could have been fun at this recital," he said as he gestured toward the dance studio. "I mean, you're probably sitting there mocking most of it. I can mock stuff," he told her as he gestured to his chest.

"Oh, you're a great mocker. I was only thinking of you when I mentioned the camping. You haven't been camping since we got together, and I was feeling weird about that," she said. "You should do the things you like," she said sincerely.

"I do do the things I like," he answered firmly.

"Well, I wasn't getting rid of you. I want you to do whatever you want to do with me," she insisted. She closed her eyes and said, "I know that sounded dirty, and dirty things count, but I didn't mean the dirty things. You and me can hang whenever, wherever," she told him.

Luke shrugged and said, "Yeah, well, maybe I'm being sensitive."

"I really wasn't getting rid of you," she told him.

Luke looked at her as he gripped the counter and said, "I mean, I'm not dying to see baton twirling."

"I'm happy to be with a man who isn't," she said quickly.

"Was there baton twirling?" he asked.

"Oh, yes, and it was no fun. She didn't drop it once," she reported. She looked up at him as she started to stand up and asked, "You want to come back to the recital with me? Kirk is doing something strange and disturbing," she added enticingly.

Luke took a deep breath and said, "Nah, I think I might go back out camping. Wouldn't mind doing some fishing."

"Good," she said, happy that he had changed his mind.

Luke smiled and said, "Yeah. Good," with a nod.

Lorelai smiled and said, "Okay," she turned and left to go back to the recital. With a small satisfied smile, Luke started to repack his camping equipment.

Lorelai got back to her set just in time to see Kirk twitching as he died on stage. Miss Patty thanked everyone for coming, and as they got up to leave, the annoying kids with the glitter swarmed the audience again. Lorelai turned to see Luke stow his camping gear in the back of the truck and head back into the diner. She bit her lip in indecision and then turned to Sookie and said quickly, "Sookie, hon, tell Michel that I won't be in tomorrow okay?"

"Won't be in?" Sookie asked blankly as they stood to try to leave again.

Lorelai jerked her chin toward the diner and said, "I'm gonna run away with Luke." She saw him come out holding his fishing pole and tackle box and lock the door behind him. "Gotta go," she said as she started to push her way through the crowd. When she reached the door, she saw him climb into the truck and called, "Luke! Wait, Luke!"

He looked up as he saw her running toward the truck and rolled down the window. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Well, first of all, I didn't kiss you goodbye," she said as she leaned into the window and kissed him. She smiled at his stunned expression and said, "Take me with you."

"What?" he asked.

"Take me off to the woods with you," she said as she bounced on the balls of her feet a little.

"You wanna go camping?" he asked incredulously.

"Well, sure, with you," she said with a shrug.

"You want to go camping?" he asked doubtfully.

"You do the things I like. I should try the things you like," she told him. "Come on. You, me, a sleeping bag," she said with a grin.

"You don't want to go camping," he said with a laugh.

"I do," she insisted.

"You know that when you go camping, you sleep outside and there's dirty and grass and stuff," he told her.

"I know, but you'll protect me from the creepy crawlies and the things that go 'grrr' in the night, right?" she asked anxiously. She paused and said, "Take me with you, Luke."

Luke nodded slowly and said, "Okay. I'll take you camping."

"You will?" she asked with a bright smile.

"You'll need to change. Dress warmer," he said as he nodded to the passenger seat. "Get in, we'll go get your stuff."

"Yay!" she said as she clapped her hands together and dashed for the other side of the truck. "This will be so fun," she said as she slid in next to him.

"I can't believe you want to do this," he said as he put the truck in gear.

"Well, we should try things, right? I mean, there are going to be times when we do what the other wants to do. That's what you do," she said with a shrug.

"Okay," he said as he turned to head to her house. "You need to dress warm and comfortable, okay? Sweats, jeans, whatever," he told her.

"Got it," she said with a nod. "Hey, I can fish," she said excitedly. "Remember when you taught me to fish?" she asked.

"Yeah, for some other guy," he said with a snort.

"Some guy whose name I can't even remember," she told him with an affectionate smile.

"You'd better remember mine," he grumbled.

"I will, because soon it's gonna be mine too," she reminded him.

He looked over at her with a proud smile and said, "Yeah, it is." He pulled into the driveway and said, "Okay, five minutes. Pack it up and keep it simple. This isn't a fashion contest or anything," he reminded her as they climbed from the truck.

"Damn, because I was in it to win," she joked as they hurried for the door.

"Hey, what about work?" he asked as she unlocked the house.

"I told Sookie that I wasn't coming in tomorrow," she said as she walked into the living room and started rummaging through her clothes. She pulled out her 'Juicy' sweats and a hoodie and asked, "Like this?"

"Yeah, put a t-shirt on under. Dress in layers. It's easier to shed if you get too warm," he said as he walked toward the kitchen.

"I like the shedding idea," she called to him.

"Me too," he said with a smile as he rummaged through the cabinets. He unearthed a bag of marshmallows and started loading a crumpled grocery sack with supplies for her. At the last minute, he pulled some bottled water and beer from the fridge and put it into another sack to carry to his cooler. When he walked back into the living room, she had changed and was pulling on some tennis shoes. "You have a change of clothes for tomorrow?" he asked.

"Pull some stuff out of there, would you?" she asked as she pointed to the basket of clean, folded laundry.

Luke gathered some more clothes and asked, "These okay?"

"Perfect," she said as she finished tying her laces. She plucked a hair band from the table and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. "Let me just grab my brush and stuff," she said as she hurried into the small bathroom. She emerged a minute later with a small travel bag and said, "Okay, all set."

Luke smirked and said, "I have never seen you move so fast or carry so little."

"Hey, I'm doing my best here," she told him with her hand on her hip.

"You're great," he said as he leaned in to kiss her. "Okay, here we go," he said as he picked up the bags and headed for the door. Lorelai locked the house behind them and gasped, "Oh! Paul Anka!"

"I am not taking that dog to the woods," Luke grumbled.

"Hang on, let me just take him out and then call Babette to see if she'll let him out in the morning," she said as she unlocked the door.

Luke dumped the bags into the bed of the truck and said, "I'll take him out, you call Babette."

"Teamwork, my friend," Lorelai called excitedly. She walked back into the house and called, "Come on, Paul Anka, Daddy's gonna take you out so that he and Mommy can go off and fool around in the woods!"

"I am not his daddy," Luke called as he rolled his eyes, walked back in and grabbed the leash from the hall table. When Paul Anka made his reluctant appearance, he clipped the leash to his collar and said, "Come on, nut bag," as he picked the dog up and carried him down the porch stairs.

Five minutes later, Paul Anka had watered the lawn, Babette was lined up for morning doggie duty, and Luke and Lorelai were back in the truck. He looked over at her as he turned the key and asked, "You're sure?"

Lorelai gave him a sultry smile and said, "Drag me off to your man cave, caveman."

XXXX

After a quick stop to round out their supplies with graham crackers, Hershey's bars and a package of hot dogs, Luke pulled into a campground about twenty miles from Stars Hollow. Lorelai looked around at the small buildings near the entrance and asked, "This is where you camp?"

Luke shook his head and said, "No, this is where you camp."

"I don't understand," she said blankly.

"Where I usually go, there are no bathrooms," he said with a pointed look. "I figured this would be better for you," he told her.

"Are you just going to leave me here?" she asked with a nervous smile.

"No, I meant, this is where I camp with you along," he answered.

"Oh, okay, good," she said with a relieved smile. "Thanks. I didn't think about the bathroom thing," she said, biting her lip.

"I figured," he answered with a smirk. "These are not the nicest facilities you've ever seen, but it beats a tree," he told her.

"You're very sweet in a sort of disgusting way," she said as he followed the lane to a secluded spot not too far removed from the campground amenities.

He parked the truck and said, "Let me get a fire going and then I'll set up the tent."

Lorelai hopped down from her seat and asked, "Are you going to rub sticks together?"

Luke smirked as he gathered some twigs and placed them in the circle of stones the campground provided. "I figured I'd try this," as he dug a lighter out of his pocket.

"That's not very woodsy," Lorelai answered in a disappointed tone.

"No, but it's very efficient," Luke answered as he scanned the ground with his flashlight. He looked up at her and said, "Stay right there. I need some more wood."

"I'll give you wood," she called after him.

"I'd rather you didn't set it on fire," he called back, making her giggle as she sat on the edge of the seat under the dome light of the truck.

She glanced around nervously at the deserted campsite and whispered, "Hurry, Luke."

A minute later, she saw his flashlight bouncing along the ground and he appeared with and armful of wood. He smiled at her as he knelt down and began arranging the logs and twigs. Soon he had the fire going to his satisfaction and stood up, brushing his hands off on the back of his jeans. "There," he said as he gestured to the building flames.

"Very good," she complimented.

Luke smiled as he walked over to the back of the truck and reached for the tent. "Thank you," he said with mock humility.

Lorelai hopped down again and said, "You should be rewarded," as she leaned into to kiss him.

Luke smiled and said, "Well, that makes it all worthwhile."

He got the tent set up and gave her the small camp stool to sit on as he sat on the ground, cleaning the bark from a stick with a pocket knife. Lorelai watched him as he worked and said, "You are incredibly sexy when you're all manly and outdoorsy."

Luke laughed and said, "Glad you think so."

"If I had known about this, I would have come out here much sooner," she told him solemnly.

Luke smiled and placed a marshmallow on the end of the stick before handing it to her. "I'm pretty sure that no matter how manly and sexy you think I am out here, you probably won't be becoming Mrs. Grizzly Adams," he said gruffly. He looked up at her as she toasted her marshmallow and said, "But, I'm glad you came tonight."

"I am too," she said as she looked over at him, distracted by his smile in the firelight.

"Marshmallow is on fire," he pointed out gruffly.

Lorelai smiled at him and said, "Me too," as she held the stick up and blew on the flaming marshmallow with a naughty smile. "Tell me a camping story," she said as he broke a graham cracker in half and handed it to her with a square of chocolate.

"I don't have any camping stories," he told her.

"Sure you do," she said with a shrug as she handed him the stick and smooshed her s'more together.

Luke twirled the stick between his fingers as he thought for a moment. As she bit into her treat he said, "This one time, I was out with my dad and Uncle Louie. Dad wanted to go to bed, but Louie kept throwing logs on the fire. It really pissed Dad off because he wouldn't go to sleep with a fire burning," he told her as he stared at the flames, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. Lorelai watched him in the firelight as she chewed. "So, Dad started grabbing all of the wood and tossing it into this ravine we were camped near. He and Louie were screaming and yelling, and at the time, it wasn't so funny to me," he said with a smirk.

"How old were you?" she asked.

Luke shrugged and said, "Nine, ten, something like that. Anyway, they started to wrestle around over the last piece of wood," he told her. "These two middle aged men, out in the middle of nowhere, yelling and fighting over a piece of wood," he said with a chuckle. "I just remember standing there watching as they rolled around on the ground, kicking and punching at each other and being afraid that they'd hurt each other. And then, they started laughing and razzing each other," he said with a shake of his head. "By the time they walked back to the campfire they were laughing and talking. They each popped open another can of beer and started talking about all of the times they had beaten the crap out of each other as kids," he said with a fond smile. He looked up at her and said, "That was the only time I can remember ever wishing that I had a brother, you know?" He shook his head and said, "They were so different, but so much alike."

Lorelai popped the last bit of s'more into her mouth and licked her fingers clean as she nodded. "That would have been cool. To have a sibling. I mainly wanted one so that my parents would have someone else to focus on, you know?" she said with a shrug.

"Yeah, well, Liz, she was a good distraction," Luke said with a nod. "Not much help, but she sure kept the heat off of me," he said as he placed another marshmallow on the end of the stick and handed it to her.

Lorelai carefully held this marshmallow up out of the flames, turning the stick to toast it evenly. "So, the kid thing you mentioned," she said softly.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"More than one?" she asked him as she stared into the flames.

"If you want," he answered, not daring to look over at her.

"I think, maybe," she said quietly. She pulled the stick back to check her progress and then placed it back over the fire. "Rory is so much older," she said with a wave of her hand.

Luke smiled as he looked down and plucked another graham cracker form the package. "We'll see how it goes, huh?" he asked gruffly.

"Yeah," she said as she pulled the stick back again. She took the graham cracker and chocolate he held out to her and said, "We'll see how it goes."

Luke watched as she ate her second s'more, her gaze held by the dancing flames. When she took the last bite, he grasped her wrist and brought her sticky fingers to his mouth, cleaning them one by one as she looked down, her eyes locked on his. When he swirled his tongue around the last finger she said in a husky voice, "Put the fire out."

"In a minute," he said as he tugged on her wrist, signaling her to get down there with him. He settled her between his legs and wrapped his arms around her as he nuzzled her hair and neck. "Thank you," he murmured.

"Thanks for bringing me," she answered as she covered his hands with hers and leaned back, relaxing against him.

Luke brushed her hair aside and began to kiss her neck, nibbling and sucking gently on her soft skin. "You smell so good," he murmured against her ear.

"You feel so good," she answered softly.

"So do you," he said as his hands began to wander over her sweatshirt. Lorelai sighed and placed her hands on his raised knees, rubbing him through the soft denim. He slipped his hands up under her shirts and touched her stomach, smiling as she flinched. "Oh, sorry, he said as he pulled his hands out and held them up to the fire to warm them.

"No, put them back," she said as he nipped gently as her neck.

Luke opened his mouth and drew her skin against his tongue as he burrowed his hands back under her shirts and let them slide up to cup her breasts. Lorelai moaned softly and arched into his touch as she said, "God, I love camping."

Luke laughed against her skin and said in a raspy voice, "Me too."

Lorelai looked around and whispered, "We're the only ones out here."

"Well, it is a Thursday night," he reminded her as he caught the ribbed neck of her t-shirt between his teeth and tugged at it playfully as he ran his thumbs over her taut nipples.

Lorelai closed her eyes and let her hands drift up his thighs, raking her nails over the denim teasingly as she asked, "Can we move that sleeping bag out here? By the fire?"

Luke lifted his head to look around and said gruffly, "Yeah, we can."

"I want you to make love to me here," she whispered. "In the firelight, under the stars," she said softly.

Luke smiled and said, "I can do that."

Lorelai smiled and said, "Let me up."

"In a minute," he answered as he nipped at her earlobe and then sucked it into his mouth. He slid one hand down over her stomach and started to rub her gently through the soft material of her sweat pants.

"No, now," she exhaled as she pressed into his hands.

"Soon," he promised as he squeezed her breast gently and stroked her clit through her clothes. "Look at the fire," he whispered in her ear as he slipped his hand down into her pants and under the edge of her panties.

"Oh God," she whispered in anticipation as she turned her head and lifted her arm to reach behind her to hold him still. She kissed him over she shoulder as he found her clit and began to rub her gently.

Luke kissed her hungrily as he felt her push against his fingers. He let them dip into her damp folds and groaned into her mouth as he felt her heat. He tore his mouth from hers and panted, "God, I want you."

"You have me," she told him.

Luke kissed her again, unleashing his want into her waiting mouth as he slipped his finger into her and began to thrust into that dazzling heat. He took his hand from her shirt and held her cheek, keeping her lips turned to his as he kissed her heatedly as he drove her up. "Luke," she gasped into his mouth.

"Mm hmm," he answered as he thrust his tongue into her mouth and tangled with hers. He swallowed her soft moans and whimpers as he pressed a second finger into her, his thumb stroking and teasing her clit with each thrust.

Lorelai made a soft mewing sound in the back of her throat as she felt her climax approaching and tried to escape his questing mouth. She finally broke away as she gasped loudly, "Luke!"

Luke growled deep in his chest as he attacked her neck again murmuring, "That's right come on." He bit her gently and then said, "Look at the stars, Lorelai," as he felt her tightening around his fingers. He looked down at her panting as she pressed back against him and arched into his hand. "Beautiful," he whispered as he watched her.

Lorelai looked up at the blanket of stars laid out just for them and gasped, "Beautiful, oh!" as she began to shattered around him.

"You are," he whispered. "You are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," he said as she gave herself over to the waves of pleasure coursing through her.

"Luke, Luke," she whispered breathlessly. Slowly, he brought her down and she began to relax against him. "Oh, Luke," she sighed happily.

He smiled and kissed her temple as he said, "Sorry, couldn't resist."

Lorelai chuckled and asked, "You're apologizing?"

Luke pressed his lips to her cheek and said, "Not really."

"Ah, an insincere apology," she said as she panted softly. "Always the best kind," she added with a laugh.

Luke slipped his fingers from her and rubbed his hand over her stomach as he said, "I will never, ever be sorry about touching you."

"As long as you understand that turnabout is fair play," she said as she wiggled her bottom against his crotch.

"Fully understood," he said gruffly.

"Let's pull that sleeping bag out here," she said softly.

Luke chuckled and said, "In a minute."

"You keep saying that," she said as she sat up with a laugh.

Luke nodded and glanced down meaning fully as he said, "It may be a minute before I can move."

"Oh," she said softly. A slow smile crept over her face as she said, "Well, you stay here. I'll get it." She scrambled to her feet and stepped over to the tent and pulled out the sleeping bag. She walked back over and spread it out on the ground near the fire. "There," she said as she placed her hands on her hips and looked down at it with a nod of satisfaction.

"Good work," Luke said with a smirk. "We need to pull it back away a little bit," he told her as he shifted to his knees and pulled the sleeping bag away from the fireside slightly.

Lorelai looked down at him and smiled as she unzipped her hoodie and let it slide from her shoulders. She lifted her t-shirt over her head and stood in front of him in her pants and a lacy red bra. "You wanna slip into something a little more comfortable?" she asked teasingly.

"You?" he asked with a smirk.

"I was hoping you'd say that," she said with a laugh as she unhooked her bra and let it slide down her arms.

"Get down here," he hissed as he glanced around nervously.

"We're the only bears in these woods, Yogi," she said with a grin. She started to ease her sweatpants over her hips slowly, taking her panties with them as she toed off her shoes. She stepped free of the pants and stripped of her socks as the cool fall air played over her naked body. Luke watched with avid interest as her nipples stood at attention. "What do you think?" she asked softly as she pulled the band from her hair and let it tumble around her shoulders.

Luke smiled broadly as he looked up and whispered, "Hey, uh, Boo Boo, you're naked."

"I am," she said with a grin. She knelt down on the sleeping bag and reached for his shirt as she said, "I'm getting cold. I'll need someone to warm me up."

Luke snapped from his trance and batted her hands away as he quickly started stripping both shirts over his head. "I'm on it," he told her as he tugged at his belt buckle.

Lorelai smiled as she unzipped the sleeping bag and said, "I want you on me."

"Yeah, that too," Luke said as he hurriedly unlaced his boots and tugged them off. He stood up and quickly stripped off his jeans and socks, but left his boxers on. When Lorelai quirked an eyebrow at him he said, "I'm not as, uh, free as you are. Get in there," he said as gestured to the sleeping bag.

Luke slid into the bag beside her and Lorelai's teeth chattered as she whispered, "Zip us up."

"If I zip it, there won't be any room to move," he told her.

"But it'll be cold if you don't" she whispered.

Luke smirked and said, "It's my ass hanging out there."

"I don't want your ass to get cold, you have a very hot ass," she said with mock sincerity.

"Here," Luke said as he zipped the sleeping bag up to his waist.

"Better," she said as she tried to maneuver her hands down to the waistband of his boxers. She struggled to push them down in the cramped sleeping bag and muttered, "You picked a hell of a time to get all shy on me."

"Yeah, well, I'm not used to letting things flap in the wind," he said with a chuckle. "Hang on," he said as he pulled the zipper back down and wiggled out of his shorts. "There, better?" he asked as he zipped it back up and pressed against her.

"Mmm, much," she said as she pulled him on top of her.

Luke kissed her gently, letting his lips glide over hers, and savoring the taste of her. Lorelai was in not hurry, she let him take his time as her hands danced over his back, running down the length of his spine and up over the rounded curve of his ass as she softly moaned her encouragement. Luke drew back slightly as something she had said earlier popped into his head. He looked down at her and asked, "Are you planning on taking my name?"

"Huh?" she asked.

"Earlier, you said my name would be yours. Are you changing yours after we get married?" he asked.

"Uh, I don't know. I haven't really thought too much about it," she answered slowly. "Do you want me to?" she asked.

Luke shrugged and said, "If you wanted to, that would be fine with me. I just never thought of you as being anyone other than Lorelai Gilmore. It never occurred to me, isn't that funny?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Yeah, well, maybe I'll be Lorelai Gilmore Danes," she said as she reached up and traced his bottom lip with her fingernail. "I kind of like that sound of that," she said softly.

Luke kissed her fingertip and said, "Me too."

Lorelai nodded and asked, "Can we get back to the kissing now?"

"Uh, sure, sorry," he said with a shy smile.

"No problem," she assured him.

They continued kissing softly in the moonlight until Lorelai shifted beneath him and whispered, "I think there's a rock under here."

"Oh, yeah, environmental hazard," he said with a smile. "Wanna switch?" he asked.

"You would throw yourself on this boulder for me?" she asked in an awed voice.

"I would," he answered solemnly.

Lorelai tried to move in the cramped sleeping bag and said, "We're going to have to coordinate this."

Luke nodded and said, "Hang on to me."

"Hanging on," she said as he quickly flipped them over, pulling her on top of him.

"There," he said with a satisfied smile.

"You're the best," she said with a grin.

"Best what?" he asked as he pulled her down to kiss her.

"Everything," she answered against his lips as she began to rub against his erection.

"Very diplomatic answer. Covered all of your bases," he said with a nod.

Lorelai smiled and said, "I like be thorough," as she moved to the side a little and trailed her hand down his chest.

"I appreciate that about you," he said in a rusty voice as she wrapped her fingers around the thick shaft of his cock.

"I thought you did," she whispered as she began to stroke him.

"I thought I was supposed to be making love to you," he said as his breath hitched in his throat.

"You and me, we have a mutual thing going on," she said with a smile.

"Yes, we do," he agreed. He took a deep breath and said, "As nice as that is, if you keep doing that, it won't be so mutual."

"Well, we can't screw that up, now can we?" she asked as she shifted back to lie on top of him. She giggled a little and said, "Get it? Screw that up?"

Luke smiled and said, "Yes, ha, screw that up," as he ran his hands over the soft swell of her ass. He cupped it and lifted her up a little until he was positioned at her entrance. "'Kay?" he asked gruffly.

"More than," she said as she began to sink down onto him. "Oh yes, definitely okay," she whispered as he filled her. She drew a deep breath and began to move on top of him. After a minute, she grew frustrated with the constraints of the sleeping bag and fumbled for the zipper.

"What are you doing?" he asked breathlessly.

"Can't move," she grumbled as she drew the zipper down and pushed against his chest to straddle him. "Ah, much better," she said with a smile. She blinked down at his shocked face and said, "Here, keep me warm," as she took his hands and placed them on her breasts, covering them with hers.

"Oh God," he groaned as she began to ride him. Moonlight and firelight danced over her skin like fire and ice as he watched her. "Lorelai," he gasped, as he closed his eyes and fought for control.

Lorelai moaned and threw her head back as she rode him harder. She released on of his hands to reach between them to stroke herself as she rode. "Oh, yes," she panted to the sky.

Luke opened his eyes and saw her touching herself as she rode him wantonly. "Jesus," he breathed. "Look at you," he whispered in an awed voice.

"Oh Luke," she moaned as she languidly lifted her head to look down at him. Her eyes sparkled in the firelight as she said, "Oh God you feel good."

"You look incredible," he whispered as he watched her. A slow smile bloomed across her face, pushing him closer to the edge. He thrust up into her, driving her as hard as he could as she impaled herself on him.

She looked down at him with heavily lidded eyes and whispered, "I'm going to come."

"God, yes, yes," he chanted, desperate for his own release. "Lorelai," he cried as she tightened around him.

"Oh, oh!" she panted as she broke.

Luke immediately erupted inside of her, and a rush of breath bore her name as he rode out his release. When he opened his eyes he found her staring down at him, her face soft, but solemn. "You okay?" he whispered.

Lorelai nodded and said, "You realize that I'm never letting you go anywhere without me again."

"That will make public men's rooms a little awkward, but okay," he said with a lazy smile. "Come down here," he said in a husky voice.

Lorelai stretched out over him, pressing her body the length of his and sighed with contentment as he held her tightly. "I'm so wrapped up in you," she whispered.

"Isn't that how it's supposed to be? Weaving our lives together?" he asked.

"Yes, this is just how it's supposed to be," she murmured as she kissed his ear.

"Crazy, huh?" he said with a chuckle.

"But good," she answered.

"Really good," he said softly.

Lorelai shifted and raised up said, "I suppose we should put some clothes on and get ready to get in the tent."

Luke nodded as he looked up at her and brushed her hair back as he said in a hoarse whisper, "As long as I live, I will never forget how you looked tonight. The fire and the moonlight."

Lorelai smiled and kissed his gently as she said, "Remember that when I'm old and wrinkly, okay?"

Luke nodded and said, "I will, trust me."


	24. Not so Zen, Now and Then

**Not so Zen, Now and Then**

Zen did not come naturally to Luke Danes. Everyone was well aware of this fact, no one more so than the man himself. He could be patient when it suited him. Hell, he had been patient, more or less, while he waited for eight years to make his move with Lorelai. Admittedly, there were moments when the impatience inside of him had threatened to bubble up and boil over, but he also knew Lorelai well enough to know that if he had let it, it could have had some fairly tragic results. So, for eight years, he pushed it back, tamped it down and sat on it like an egg he was waiting to hatch. And when the time was right, he made it happen. Maybe not in the way he had envisioned, but it had happened. He acted, she reacted, and this relationship was officially enacted.

But now, everything he had wanted was within his reach. Now, they were engaged, there was talk of kids and a house being renovated for his impending move. And yet, Luke felt like everything was still at a stand still. Five months, this thing between Lorelai and Rory had been dragging on for five months. He scrubbed down the counter as he shook his head in disbelief. He never, ever would have thought that it would go on so long. When he assured Lorelai that it would work itself out, he never thought that it would take this much time. And, although he understood her need to wait, and he understood but didn't necessarily agree with her plan to let Rory figure it all out on her own. His patience with the situation was wearing thin.

He was tired of Lorelai looking and feeling sad and drawn all of the time. He was a little frightened by her neediness and dependency on him. Not that he hated it, it was just so foreign to him, this Lorelai Gilmore who felt sad and scared and insecure. The fierce determination she had steeled herself with in the beginning, had faded to a pale, fragile acceptance. She had replaced Rory in her affections with a smelly, shaggy dog, and a fiancée who was more and more at a loss for what to do for her.

So, he let her go on. Pretending that things were all right in her world. Pretending that she was okay with the way things were with Rory. Pretending that her bright smiles had reached her eyes. He listened when she wanted to talk about it, which was less and less these days. He worried that the lack of talk meant that she was leaning toward giving up. And a little piece of him wondered if he would love her just as much if she finally did give up. After all, Lorelai's single minded determination to raise her daughter the way she wanted her raised was one of the things that had attracted him to her. Her willingness to turn her back on the world she had known, and forge her own way, create a new world, and build a full life with her daughter at the center of it, was one of the most compelling things about a compelling woman. Now, he was at the center of it, and he wasn't sure he liked it very much.

In a way, Luke was grateful that she had brought Paul Anka home that day. It took a little of the pressure off of him. He had teased her one night when he caught her stroking his hair like she was petting him, but he still didn't like it. He didn't wan to be her faithful companion like Paul Anka, or her willing disciple as Rory had been. He wanted to be her husband, her partner, her man. As it was now, he felt at alternating times like a cheerleader, a hovering lackey, and sometimes a janitor, sweeping up the bits and pieces of her as they crumbled away.

Yes, he was losing patience, but he wasn't about to say or do anything about it. He was no fool, he had the girl. He wasn't about to blow it now by making demands that she was unwilling and unprepared to fulfill. So, he went along with the charade. Smiling and giving the correct answers when she wanted to talk in vague terms about the amorphous future they had together. He bit his tongue and let her thank him for being patient, because it made him feel better knowing that she knew that he was doing his best. He acted like he was angry with Taylor rather than her, but what he was really mad about was that now he would have to do two sets of change of address cards. Once to change his street name at the diner, and another when and if he actually married the girl and moved into the house he had just poured thousands of dollars into.

Yes, at times, he felt the urge to go ahead and make a grab for the carrot that was dangling in front of him, knowing that he could fall flat on his face. Why not, it had to be better than this, this nothingness. He was tempted, sorely tempted, because, contrary to popular belief, Luke Danes was not patient. He was not Zen. And he was not particularly happy with the way things were going, or rather, not going.

He stared at the urn taking up five square feet of his diner and sighed. He was tired of being the man in the middle. First with Lorelai and Rory, and now apparently with Lorelai and Emily. He looked up as the bells chimed and Lane came in to take over the evening shift.

"Hey Luke," she called in a cheery voice.

"Hi Lane," he answered in a dull voice.

"Wow, big vase," she said as she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Yeah," he said as he rubbed his neck. "Uh, if you can, see if you can keep kids from crawling on it, okay?" he asked as he dropped his rag under the counter and rubbed his hands down the back of his jeans. "I don't want anyone getting hurt," he said with a nod.

"Will do," she answered in a chipper tone as she tied on her apron.

"Okay, well, I'm out of here. Call me at Lorelai's if you need anything," he told her.

"Will do," she called again as she started straightening tables and realigning the salt and pepper shakers to her liking.

Luke walked slowly to Lorelai's trying to calm his mind and trying to get the impatience reined back in. He opened the door without knocking and called, "Hello?"

"Thank God you're here," she said as she appeared from the direction of the kitchen. She kissed him briefly and asked, "Did you bring food? I'm starving."

Luke shook his head and said, "No, but I'll make you something."

"Ooh, do we have cheese?" she asked as she spun around and headed back toward the fridge. "We do!" she cried as she held up a package of cheese triumphantly.

Luke rolled his eyes as he took it from her and said, "Grilled cheese it is."

"Two, please. No, three," she told him. "We're out of chips," she said with a shrug.

"You're out of chips," he grumbled as he pulled out a loaf of bread.

"You're cranky," she grumbled back.

The impatience bubbled up again. "There's a twenty foot urn in my diner," he said with a pointed look

"I told you I'd get someone to move it," she answered as she leaned back against the counter and crossed her arms over her chest defensively.

"It should have never have been sent there," he muttered as he put a pan on the stove to heat.

"I agree, but I didn't send it," she shot back.

"Did you call your mother?" he asked as he slathered butter onto the bread.

"No, I told you that I wasn't going to call her," she said stubbornly. When she saw his jaw tighten, she said, "Luke, this isn't your business. I will handle it."

"It damn sure is my business, it's in my business," he said through clenched teeth as he gestured vaguely toward the town square.

"Okay, I want the Zen back," she said with a scowl.

"The Zen is long gone," he snapped as he tossed the buttered bread into the pan and layered cheese onto it before placing another piece on top. "And you're not handling anything," he accused.

"Hey, that's not for you to say," she snapped.

"It is too! This is affecting me too," he said as he jabbed a finger at his chest.

"I know it is," she said quietly.

"I don't want to fight, but damn it, Lorelai," he said before he clamped his lips together, his jaw working overtime as he struggled to hold back the words that threatened to spill out.

"This isn't a fight, it's a spat," she said with a shrug. "Everyone has them."

"It's a fight, or gonna be a fight," he growled.

"No, it's a spat," she countered stubbornly.

Luke flipped the sandwich and turned to her as he hissed, "Same damn thing."

"No, a fight is a fight, but a spat can be diffused with the judicious use of a spatula," she said as she plucked a spatula from the drawer and started to whap him on the butt with it.

"Hey!" he said as he moved back out of her reach, glaring at her.

"Come here," she said as she waved the utensil at him.

"You're nuts!" he answered, unable to hold back the laugh as he reached to grab her wrist before she could hit him with it again.

"En guard!" she said gesturing to the spatula he still held in his hand as she brandished hers like a sword.

"Your sandwich is burning," he pointed out.

"Well, then, flip it," she said with a nod.

"Step back," he commanded.

"Are you scared of a girl?" she taunted.

"Scared of the crazy woman," he corrected as he scooped her grilled cheese from the pan and placed it on the paper towel she had laid out on the counter. He glanced at her as he placed another slice of bread into the pan and layered it with cheese.

She pointed her spatula at him menacingly and growled, "More cheese, please."

Luke rolled his eyes and said, "I'll have to call Roto Rooter to clean out your arteries."

Lorelai picked up her sandwich, held it up to him in a salute and said, "I declare this spat officially over. I called a moving company; they're picking up the urn tomorrow and taking it to the inn. We'll use it there," she told him quietly.

"Fine," he grumbled.

"And, after we eat, you can help me catalog some of the stuff she has sent to me so that I can donate it somewhere," she told him.

"Gee, I am a lucky man," he said sarcastically.

Lorelai nodded as she munched on her sandwich and said, "The price you pay for the glory that is me."

Luke rolled his eyes and said, "Pretty steep."

"Well, you have a lifetime to keep paying for it," Lorelai said as she took another bite of her sandwich. "I'm gonna go get started. Bring those in when you're done, will you?" she asked as she kissed his scruffy cheek and turned to walk into the living room.

"Yeah," he said as he frowned at the pan. "A lifetime," he muttered.


	25. Party of Two Redeux

**A/N: Okay, yes, I did the truck scene, but I kept it pretty simple because I always think that look that they shared as being the coupliest we ever got to see them. Enjoy.**

**Party of Two**

As they drove home in the truck that night, Luke shifted, a little uncomfortable with Lorelai's uncharacteristic silence. Finally, he glanced over at her and said gently, "Hey, you can pull link sausages out of me if you want."

Lorelai turned to look at him and smiled, but said nothing. Instead, She reached over and laced her fingers through his, resting them on the seat between them. A few minutes later she said quietly, "Thank you for coming with me. I'm not sure I could have done it without you."

Luke shrugged and said, "Sure you could have, but I wanted to go."

Lorelai laughed and said, "Nobody wants to go to my parents' house, Luke."

"I wanted to see Rory for her birthday," he said with a smirk.

Lorelai turned to look at him and said, "Yeah, you were always good about that." She smiled and asked, "Monogrammed unicorn towels?"

Luke shook his head and blushed a little as he said, "I wasn't sure if you had gotten her anything, so brought something along."

"You did?" she asked with a frown. "Did you have it taped to your torso?" she asked.

"No, it was in my pocket," he said as he rolled his eyes. "No unicorns or initials involved," he said gruffly.

"What was it?" she asked.

Luke pursed his lips momentarily before he said softly, "A necklace. It was my Mom's."

"Oh, Luke," Lorelai said, touched that he thought so much of Rory.

"It's no big thing," he said quickly. "It's not like it was the crown jewels or anything. It was just a necklace with, um, pearls that my mom used to wear," he said, embarrassed by his own sentimentality.

Lorelai raised their joined hands to her lips and tenderly kissed the back of his hand. "You can be the sweetest guy," she murmured as she rubbed her cheek over his hand.

"Well, I wanted to give her something special," he said with a blush. "She's twenty-one, and we're, you know," he said gruffly.

Lorelai looked over at him and said, "I love you too much to hack you open with a rusty saw."

Luke nodded as a pleased smiled curved his lips and said, "I'm really glad to hear that."

Lorelai placed their hands in her lap and asked, "Did you give it to her or did you leave it on the present pile?"

"I gave it to her when I went in to get a beer," he told her. "She introduced me to someone as her step-father to be," he told her, a proud smile twitching his lips.

"She did?" Lorelai asked in a stunned voice. When Luke nodded she squeezed his hand and said, "It's good that we went."

"Yes, it was," Luke agreed as he glanced over at her affectionately. "Come closer," he said as he tugged on her hand.

Lorelai scooted across the bench seat and settled against his shoulder as he draped his arm around her. She giggled and asked, "Are you gonna ask me to go steady, Butch?"

Luke shot her a look and said, "I think the engagement ring bypassed that."

Lorelai frowned as she looked down at her ring and said, "Apparently, Rory never told my parents about the engagement."

"Really?" Luke asked, surprised.

"Yeah, my Mom, eagle eye that she is, spotted it though," she said with a smirk.

"What did she say?" he asked apprehensively.

Lorelai shrugged and said, "She asked if congratulations are in order."

"Best wishes," he muttered.

"What?" she asked with a laugh.

"You congratulate the groom, you offer the bride best wishes," he told her. "Your Mom got me on that one around the time of the renewal thing," he explained.

"Well, she lost her post as Emily Post's stand in tonight," Lorelai said with a chuckle.

"Do you think they're upset?" he asked worriedly.

Lorelai shook her head and said, "They have bigger fish to fry now."

"How so?" Luke asked.

"They're fighting over Rory now," she told him.

"Fighting over her?" he asked.

"Well, I guess my parents found out that Rory, uh, how do I put this, not going to be tossed into a volcano as a sacrifice, if you know what I mean," she said with a smirk.

"Huh?" he asked.

"She's not as, um, innocent as they thought she was," Lorelai expounded.

"Not as, oh," he said as he got it. "Oh, man," he groaned as he focused harder on the road.

"Yeah, well, Dad has finally seen that she's going nowhere with what she's doing, but Mom is still paddling as fast as she can up denial," she told him. "Anyway, it's somehow my fault," she said with a sigh.

"Your fault?" Luke asked heatedly. "They were the ones…" he started.

"I know, Hon," she said, cutting him off before he could get really riled. "Anyway, Dad said that she was lost, and Mom insisted that she wasn't lost until she came home pregnant," she told him.

Luke winced and asked, "She said that?"

"Her exact words," Lorelai confirmed.

"Ouch," he whispered as he turned and kissed her head. "Man, how long do you get to hear that for?" he asked, annoyed.

"Apparently, there's no statute of limitations," she said dryly. "Everyone gets their shot in, not just my parents," she said with a bitter laugh. "A couple of weeks ago it was Rune telling Bo Belleville that I'm a nympho because I had a kid at sixteen," she said with a smirk. "You've even done it," she told him.

"I have not!" he said, offended. "Although, the nympho part," he said in a teasing voice.

"When Jess moved here and you guys came over for dinner?" she asked, trying to jog his memory.

"What about it?" he answered.

"You said something about me not having good decision making abilities, and the fact that I got pregnant at sixteen proved that," she told him.

"I did?" he asked. His eyes widened as he remembered the fight in her kitchen and he said softly, "I did. Oh God, why didn't you just shoot me then and there?" he asked with a groan.

Lorelai shrugged and said, "I'm pretty used to it. It just pops up at the weirdest times."

"And hurts," he said. "Lorelai, I," he started to apologize.

"I know you didn't," she said gently.

"I want to shoot myself," he mumbled.

"Not allowed," she answered. "Anyway, so all is not well in Gilmore-land," she said with a sigh.

"Well, maybe now would be a good time for a little push, you know?" he said thoughtfully. "Get yourself in there, front and center," he suggested.

"No, no push," she said shaking her head. "Rory has to come around to it on her own. It's like I told Dad, she has to want it for herself," she said stubbornly.

"But, Lorelai," he began to argue.

"No, Luke. I'm not getting into this again," she said as she sat up in the seat.

Luke nodded, his jaw flexing as he fought back the urge to get into it anyway. Finally, he took a deep breath and said, "I ate raw fish tonight."

Lorelai glanced over at him, and sighed with relief as they once again skirted that minefield. "You did. I saw it," she said with a nod.

"Don't think I will again," he said quickly.

"Well, it's always good to try new things," she said encouragingly.

He looked over at her and asked, "Apartment or the cardboard castle?" referring to the fact that most of her belonging were residing in boxes as the dragged on.

"The apartment," she answered. "I feel like being holed up and cozy in man world," she said as she patted his knee.

Luke nodded as he turned and headed for the town square. He looked over at her and said, "I'll do the scientist thing if you want."

Lorelai nodded and said, "Sookie and I picked out a nice manly kielbasa for you."

"And how many dirty sausage jokes were there?" he asked with a smirk.

"Many," she said with an answering grin.

"I trust you left any discussion of me in particular in relation to these sausages out of it," he said darkly as he parked behind the diner and turned to look at her.

Lorelai smiled and patted his knee as she said, "Sure, Hon, you trust in that if it makes you feel better."

Luke rolled his eyes and asked, "How'd I do?"

"Very well, but you don't have that little bite that the Louisiana sweet sausage has," she said soberly.

"I'll work on that," he said as he opened the car door.


	26. Inside the HeMan Clubhouse

**A/N: Okay, for those of you who chose to stick it out, here we go. From here on out, there may not be chapter by chapter stories. I'll have to see how it goes. Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading! Mags**

**Inside the He-Man Clubhouse**

Lorelai knocked on Luke's apartment door holding a covered plate. When she heard him call, "Come in," she stepped inside cautiously.

Lorelai closed the door behind her with a sigh and said, "Okay, see, once we're married, you're not going to be able to run away to your clubhouse anymore." She approached him slowly and said, "You're going to have to join a rotisserie baseball league with the rest of the men."

Luke at in his chair, a bottle of beer clutched in his hand as he asked dully, "When we're married, huh? Gee, when's that going to be?" he asked in a voice filled with doubt.

"I brought you something to eat. You're going to need sustenance if we're going to go another ten rounds," Lorelai said softly, glancing down at the plate she held.

Luke looked up at her, fidgeting with the neck of the bottle as he said bluntly, "I'm never going to be okay with Christopher being in your life."

Lorelai shrugged helplessly and said with a concerned frown, "I'm always going to have Christopher in my life."

"Yeah," Luke said with a resigned sigh, returning his gaze to his beer bottle.

Lorelai sat on the coffee table opposite Luke and put the plate down. "He is Rory's father. I can't change that," she said with a sigh of her own. She looked at him and said sincerely, "Today was the first day I heard Christopher's voice in a year, and I would have told you."

Luke stared hard at her and said, "We can't hide things from each other."

"I know," she said softly.

"I'm not going to like it when Christopher calls, but we have to tell each other everything," he insisted with a pointed look.

"Agreed," she replied docilely.

"That's the only way this is going to work," he said, driving his point home.

"I know," she whispered.

Luke looked up at her and asked, "You really hate the bedroom set?"

"Oh, I really hate the bedroom set," she answered with a shudder. "But I'm sorry I told you like that," she added sincerely.

"Yeah, well," Luke said, stopping as he drew in a deep breath. "So, how are Sookie and Jackson doing?" he asked.

Lorelai gave him a tentative smile and said, "I think they enjoyed watching a show for once that didn't have La-La playing the guitar."

Luke looked at her sitting there nervously, and his anger faded. "Come here," he whispered with a jerk of his head.

Lorelai smiled as she gripped his arm and pulled herself up into his lap saying, "I want a Barbie and a pony and roller skates and roller skates for the Barbie and for the pony," before Luke cut her off with a kiss. She rested her hand on his chest and kissed him again.

"No secrets?" he asked softly as she pulled back.

Lorelai looked into his eyes and answered firmly, "Cross my heart and hope to die."

Luke shook his head slightly and whispered, "No, I hate that saying."

"No secrets," she vowed as she bent to kiss him again. Luke kissed her back, rubbing his arm over her thigh as she said, "Luke?"

Luke kissed her again and asked softly, "Yeah?"

Lorelai kissed him one more time and then confessed, "When I was in fifth grade, I told everybody Erik Estrada was my boyfriend and that we used to make out on his motorcycle."

"Shh," he said as she leaned closer and he kissed her again, this time deepening it. His hand splayed over her back, holding her close to him as her tongue tentatively touched his lips, asking for permission.

Luke slid his arm down, dropping the bottle of beer mindlessly to the rug as he buried his hand in her hair, letting his fingers glide through the soft waves as he kissed her passionately. "Are we making up now?" she asked softly as she pulled back.

"Yes," he murmured as he pressed his lips to the deep vee of her top.

"I have some stuff to say," she said, trying not to be distracted by his ministrations.

"Later," he grunted as he cupped her breasts through her shirt, pushing them up so that the soft mounds rose above her neckline and kissing them feverishly.

"No, Luke, now," she said as she pulled back, brushing his hands away.

Stunned, Luke blinked up at her and asked, "What?"

"Luke, I understand why you were upset, and why that may have looked bad to you," she said as she placed her hand over his heart. "But I didn't do anything wrong, and it really bothers me that you thought I would," she said quietly.

Luke shook his head slowly and said, "I didn't really think so."

"You sure acted like it," she told him pointedly.

"I was," he started to say. "I mean, yeah, I was upset, and yeah, you did act a little guilty," he said as he floundered for the right words. He sighed and looked down, pressing his chin to his chest for a moment. He looked up to meet her eyes again and said bluntly, "I'm afraid it's not going to happen."

"What's not?" she asked, confused.

"Us, getting married," he said gruffly.

"Luke, of course it is," she said cajolingly.

"Six months, Lorelai. We've been engaged for six months," he reminded her. "Six months of no plans being made," he said quietly. "No date being set."

"But, you know why," she said pleadingly.

"Yes, I know," he cut her off. "Six months of no plans, and little or no effort on your part to reconcile with Rory," he said firmly. He shook his head and said, "I'm standing still, Lorelai. Waiting for you like I have always waited for you," he said as he looked down at his hand as he rubbed her leg through her jeans. "I don't want to wait anymore," he said in a hoarse voice.

"Luke," she said softly. She took his cap off and dropped it to the floor as she ran her fingers through his hair soothingly.

"I need a plan," he said quietly.

Lorelai nodded as she absorbed his words and said, "Okay, we'll start talking about a plan."

"Do you mean it?" he asked cautiously.

"What? Suddenly everything that comes out of my mouth is a lie?" she asked, getting agitated as she started to move off of him.

"No, no," he said quickly, holding her firmly on his lap. "Lorelai, I'm just," he said and stopped. "I feel, uh, a little unsure right now," he admitted in a low voice.

"Unsure of me," she said, bristling.

"No, God, no," he said quickly. "I want to marry you. I want to have our life together," he assured her. "I just need for us to get on the same page," he said quietly.

"I want that too," she said as she toyed with the button on his shirt. "I do," she whispered.

"Those are the words I want to hear," he said with a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"I want you to trust me," she said sincerely.

"I do trust you," he said quickly. "I just, sometimes, I get a little impatient," he said cautiously.

"No, you?" she asked with a laugh. She looked down at him and said seriously, "I need you to believe me. I want you trust me. Do you?" she asked.

"I do," he said with a firm nod.

Lorelai smiled and said, "Okay, so we both know our lines."

"Want me to call Reverend Skinner?" he teased gruffly.

"I want to make up now, so I don't think it would be appropriate for him to visit right now," she said as she leaned down to kiss him gently. Luke kissed her back, quickly escalating the kiss as he pressed his hand to her face, stroking her jaw with his thumb. Lorelai's fingers found the buttons on his shirt and started working on them diligently as he kissed her throat, raining hot wet kisses over the tender skin. She leaned back, and whispered, "As you were," as she directed his head toward her neckline.

Luke smiled and grasped the hem of her shirt, quickly skimming it up over her head. As he ran his hands over her smooth skin, Lorelai returned her attention to the buttons on his shirt before she muttered, "The hell with it," and started to yank both shirts up to pull them over his head.

Luke raised his arms and let her toss them aside before he grasped the back of her neck and pulled her down for a crushing kiss. His fingers released the clasp on her bra, and he quickly stripped it down her arms before reaching for the button on her jeans. Lorelai angled her head and shifted up, planting one knee beside him in the chair and nudging his legs together so that she could straddle him. Luke groaned and immediately found her nipple with his lips, clamping it gently between them and then catching it with his teeth. He bit down a little as his hands kneaded the smooth skin of her back urgently. He glanced up at her sharp intake of breath, and drew her into his mouth, sucking on her fervently.

Lorelai moaned and whispered, "So that's how it's going to be, huh?" She pulled back and gripped his head in her hands as she said, "Two can play at that, buddy." She held him still as she kissed him hard and hot, plunging her tongue into his mouth as her hands found his belt buckle and worked it desperately.

Luke cupped her ass, pushing up into her as he sought the friction they both craved. Their tongues dueled, battling for supremacy in a fight they both knew they would win. Lorelai popped open the button on his jeans and began to work the zipper down. Frustrated, she jerked away from him and climbed from his lap. Luke looked up at her, his chest heaving with excitement as she opened her jeans and quickly stripped them down her long legs. She stood before him for a moment, completely bare. When his eyes traveled up to hers, she looked own at him and asked, "Is this what you want?"

"Yes," he rasped.

Lorelai bent provocatively and reached for the fly of his jeans. She unzipped it and pulled on his pants and boxers as he lifted his hips to be free of them. When she got them down over his knees, she gave up, too impatient to deal with his boots and pants. She quickly straddled him again and began to lower herself onto his cock. "Lorelai," he said as he tried to stop her.

"I'm ready," she said breathlessly. "Mmm, you are too," she said as she sank down around him.

Luke scooted to the edge of the set, trying to give them more room, and let his head fall back against the cushion as he looked up at her, fully sheathed in her heat. When she met his gaze he said gruffly, "I am ready."

Missing his meaning, Lorelai began to ride him steadily, flexing her thighs and pushing down onto him. "Oh, I love having you inside of me," she purred as she let her head fall back.

Luke touched the soft white skin of her throat and trailed his fingers slowly down the length of her until they tangled in her curls. He found her clit and began to stroke it in rhythm with each thrust silently as she rode him. "Good?" he asked softly.

"So good," she panted.

"More," he groaned as he pushed up into her.

"I can't move, not enough room," she answered.

With a grunt of frustration, Luke grasped her ass with both hands and heaved them up, the muscles in his thighs flexing and straining as he carried her forward to the coffee table. Lorelai sprawled unceremoniously on the table, sending the plate of food flying as she reached back to brace herself, and her eyes wide with shock. Luke pressed into her, pining her under him with his weight as he drove deeper. "Luke!" she gasped.

"Need," he panted as he plunged into her heat.

Lorelai grabbed at his shoulders as he thrust into her hard. He dipped his head and bit her neck, drawing the skin into his mouth and laving it with his tongue. One hand was trapped underneath her, still squeezing her ass as he freed the other to claim her breast. He pinched her nipple, rolling it between his finger and thumb as she arched up to meet him. "Oh God," she panted as she felt her climax building.

"Lorelai," he rasped as he felt her tightening around him.

"God, Luke," she whispered, closing her eyes as she gave herself over to the shockwaves of pleasure he was sending through her.

"Lorelai, Lorelai," he chanted as he felt her squeezing him, taking him hurtling over the edge with her. He pressed his lips to her neck, crushing her beneath him on the unyielding table.

"Uh, Luke?" she whispered as she fought for breath.

"Unh," he grunted.

"I, ow, um," she winced as he shifted slightly.

"Oh my God!" he hissed as he snapped back to reality and lurched up, pushing himself off of her. He stepped back, reeling slightly on unsteady legs.

"It's okay," she assured him, seeing the horrified look on his face.

"I hurt you," he said blankly, his chest heaving from exertion and panic.

"No, the table's just a little hard," she said as she pushed herself up to sit on the edge.

Luke blinked, trying to clear the fog from his brain as she looked up at him, her dark hair in tangles around her shoulders. "Oh my God," he whispered again.

Lorelai stood up shaking her head and pressed her hand over his hammering heart. "Luke, I'm fine," she said softly.

"It's not fine," he said shaking his head. "It's not fine, Lorelai!" he said loudly.

"I'm not hurt, it was just a little uncomfortable, that's all," she said calmly. "Just a little hot make up sex," she said with a small smile.

Luke dropped into the chair and buried his face in his hands as he said again, "It's not fine."

"It will be. We will be," she told him, knowing that she had to make it come true, for both of their sakes.

"How?" he croaked as he looked up at her.

Lorelai squatted down, resting her hands on his knees as she kept her gaze steady on his. "I'll fix it. I'm not sure how, but I'll find a way to fix it," she promised him. He searched her eyes silently, and covered her hand with his. She gave him a tremulous smile and said, "Trust me. It will be better. We will get married," she said with conviction.

"Yeah," he said in a choked whisper.

She nodded and said, "You're stuck with me." When he didn't respond, she added, "That is, if you still want me," with a flirty smile.

Luke chuckled and said, "Well, I have gotten kind of used to you now."

Lorelai nodded and said, "Let's get into bed," as she stood up and tugged on his hand. As she led him around the table she saw the plate and food scattered over the floor and said, "I hope that you weren't hungry."

"No," he said gruffly.

She pulled back the blankets and they climbed into his bed. When they settled in, Lorelai rolled over, curving her body against his side as she pressed her cheek to his chest. When she smiled and chuckled a little, he asked, "What?"

"Apparently angry make up sex is okay when you're the one who's angry," she teased.

"No, it's only okay when its about us," he said stiffly. "You weren't really angry with me that day, you were angry at Rory," he reminded her.

Not ready to let him entirely off of the hook, she said, "You know, you are a real ass when you're mad."

"Yes, I am," he admitted. "I'm sorry," he said as he craned his neck to look at her.

"I always forget what a jerk you can be," she said as she shook her head. "I get so used to you being sweet and then, bam!" she said with a rueful chuckle.

"Hey, you're not exactly easy, you know," he said defensively.

"No," she admitted. "I'm just saying that I forget what a temper you have sometimes," she said as she rubbed her hand over his stomach.

"Not my better moments," he grumbled.

"No," she agreed. "We're not fighting…yet," she mocked.

"What the hell was that about wrapping myself in a towel and a hedge?" he asked.

"Desperate Housewives, Baby," she said. "You really need to watch more TV," she chastised.

"Probably not my kind of show," he said shaking his head.

"Well, if there's one thing that we've always been good at, it's fighting," she said with a gusty sigh.

"There are other things," he said gruffly.

"Well, that too," she admitted with a laugh.

"I didn't mean that either," he said quickly.

"Sure you didn't," she said as she patted his chest. She sighed as she glanced around the apartment and said, "Thank God you don't have any creepy cherubs here."

"I'll get it out of there tomorrow," he promised as he hugged her tight.

"Thank you," she said as she exhaled a sigh of relief.

"We're…" he started to ask.

"Fine," she answered as she pressed a small kiss to his chest.

"Good," he said as he kissed the top of her head. "That's good," he said with a relieved sigh.


	27. He's Got a SecretDig?

**He's Got a Secret…Dig?**

He had almost done it. After his talk with Liz, he had almost convinced himself that Lorelai need never know about April, the girl who showed up claiming to be his daughter. Actually, she never claimed that. She claimed that he had fathered her, but in no way alluded to the desire for any kind of relationship with him. And if she didn't want it, why should he force it? It's not as if the girl seems to be uncared for or neglected in any way. He knew Anna well enough; at least he did twelve years ago, to know that any child of hers would not want for anything. He knew her well enough to know that if she had been unable to care for her child, their child, she would have beaten his door down to get what she needed. He also knew her well enough to know that if she didn't want or need his help, she would never have told him. This was April's choice to seek him out. But she didn't do so out of desire to know her father or to fill in the blanks in her family history, she did so to win a science competition.

As he pulled his black sweater over his head and smoothed his hair back into place, Luke realized that now that the competition was over, she seemed to have no use for him. He blinked as the thought occurred to him and took a deep breath. Good, that's good. He tried to tell himself. Like he had said to Liz, they had their lives, he had his, and there was absolutely no reason for them to intersect. Unless, of course, April needed a kidney or something, if that were the case, he liked to think he'd step in and do what's right. But she didn't seem interested, at least not from any perspective other than the scientific aspect. No, he should go on living his life. After all, their lives will go on as before too. He had to keep quiet. He couldn't let this derail him now. Not now, when there was so much to lose.

Rory was back. She was back, and she and Lorelai were reconciled, and once again living in each others pocket. All was right with the world. His heart skipped a beat as he remembered how happy Lorelai was as she kissed him and said, "We can set the date. We can get married now because Rory's back." He shook his head, pressing his lips together as he remembered the maelstrom of emotions that coursed through him. Confusion being number one, followed closely by fear mixed with ecstasy and relief, with just a dash of panic added for flavor. It was happening. Rory was back, and they were finally going to move forward after months of waiting. Lorelai was ready to go, but now he felt like his feet were made of clay. How do you tell the woman you love that you have a kid that you knew nothing about for twelve years? He took his wallet and keys from the dresser and shoved them into the appropriate pockets as he checked his reflection in the mirror one last time. How do you open your mouth and say the one thing that you know may crush your dreams forever?

He left the apartment and rumbled down the stairs, exiting through the back door and climbing into his truck. He was so glad that Rory was back. If Rory wasn't home, he would have already cracked. There is no way he could have slept in the same bed with Lorelai night after night and not told her. At least, he doesn't think he could. As tempting as the thought was, he didn't want to keep it a secret, really, because he knew he couldn't. Aside from the promises they had made just a week ago, this wasn't something that could stay hidden forever. He knew that it had to be said; he just hoped that he could wait for a better time. Once he had a chance to think it through. Once he had a moment to wrap his head around it. Once the joy of Rory's return was lived out, and life returned to normal again. He snorted to himself as he steered the truck towards the Dragonfly. He had to know how he felt about it all, he had to know that he could assure Lorelai that the life they had planned could still go forward, right on track. Still, it was tempting to pretend that none of it had ever happened. 

For now though, it was Thanksgiving. Liz's dinner for her friends had gone directly into the trash once she learned that a turkey could indeed melt, and rolls were not supposed to be covered in ash. Lorelai and Sookie had generously invited the whole pack of them to the inn to share dinner with them. For once, Luke would be thankful not only for his beautiful fiancée and step daughter to be, but for his flaky sister and her wacky friends, who could provide just the distraction he needed. He pulled into the parking lot at the Dragonfly just as Rory was getting out of her Prius. She stood at her rear bumper, waiting to walk in with him.

"Hey," he said as he opened the door.

"Hi, Luke. Happy Thanksgiving," she said as he approached. She grinned and gave him that little sideways hug they usually shared.

"Happy Thanksgiving. You look nice," he said as they walked toward the inn together.

"Thanks. So do you. I don't often get to see non-plaid Luke," she teased.

"He comes out once in a while," Luke answered with a smirk as he opened the front door and gestured for her to precede him. "Are you ready for the freak show?" he asked in a low voice.

"I can't wait to meet all of your Ren Faire friends," Rory teased.

Luke scoffed and said, "I don't really know any of them." As they walked into the dining room though, Luke's arrival was hailed with huzzahs, causing Rory to clamp her hand over her mouth as she giggled. They took the seats at the farthest end of the table, hoping to stay out of the fray, and were chatting quietly when one of the guys started doing a trick where he rapidly stabbed between his fingers, hopefully without spearing a digit. 

Lorelai came out of the kitchen and announced that dinner would be ready shortly. She leaned over their chairs and said, "Hey, guys, when'd you sneak in?"

Luke looked up at her and said, "Oh, just a couple minutes ago."

"How'd you like to carve for us?" she asked him.

Luke began to scoot his chair back and said, "I'll carve if you want."

Lorelai smiled and said, "Bless you." As he rose, she touched his arm and said in a low voice, "Um, let me talk to you over here for a second first."

"Oh, okay," Luke answered as he followed her into the parlor.

Lorelai fidgeted as she said, "So."

"Yeah?" he prompted.

"Um. That Christopher call from before, the famous one?" she asked as she tucked her hair behind her ear nervously.

"The infamous one," Luke corrected dryly.

"Oh, you remember that?" Lorelai asked with a shaky smile.

Luke nodded and said, "I remember it."

Lorelai took a deep breath and said, "Well, I never filled you in on the content. He said he wanted to talk and he said it was important, so I met up with him," she confessed quickly.

Luke raised his eyebrows and said, "Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah. He's come into a lot of money, family money. And he offered Rory and me lots of things we didn't want or need, but Rory took him up on his offer to pay for Yale. It was her idea and I support it. That's it," she said in a rush. "So he's going to be financing her tuition this year and next year and, um, we got together today at a diner to finalize it, and that's it," she said with a grimace, waiting for the fallout that was sure to come.

Luke nodded slowly and shrugged as he said calmly, "I think that's great."

"Really?" Lorelai asked suspiciously.

"Yes. I think that's absolutely great," he said sincerely.

Lorelai frowned in confusion and asked, "You heard the part about how I got together with Christopher?"

"Absolutely," Luke said as he continued to nod. "You had to, to talk about this. He's her dad. He's her dad. If he's got something, he should be sharing it, good for him. He's been gone most of the time, so he owes you. I'm glad he's doing it. He's doing what a dad is supposed to do. He's taking care of his kid. Good. Good," he babbled.

"Yeah, good," Lorelai said hopefully. "So you're good with this?" she asked, just to be sure.

"I am," Luke answered firmly.

"And so we're good?" she asked cautiously.

"We're great," he assured her automatically, trying to ignore the hard knot of guilt in his stomach.

"Thank you for understanding," she said as she leaned in to kiss him.

Luke nodded again and gestured toward the kitchen as he said, "I'm going to go carve."

"Okay," Lorelai said as he turned to leave, still stunned by how well he took it.

He disappeared into the kitchen and picked up the carving set. He quickly went to work as Sookie came over to supervise. His hands were unsteady as Sookie told him it was too thin, too thick and too crooked. Frustrated, he finally handed the carving set to her and said only, "Okay," as he started to leave the kitchen. He stopped just before the door, and turned back. Sookie was busy trying to correct his errors in carving, so he took to opportunity to sneak into the pantry, close the door and pick up the phone. After having information connect him to the correct number, Luke listened to his daughter's voice tell him that they weren't home. He quickly hung up and took a deep breath. Of course they weren't home. It's Thanksgiving. They have a life. He has a life. He ran his fingers through his hair and paced the pantry for a moment, trying to figure out the right thing to do.

He walked out of the pantry and back into the dining room. As he took his seat next to Lorelai she smiled and asked, "She kick you out?"

Startled from his thoughts, Luke asked, "What? Who?"

"Sookie," Lorelai said with a laugh.

"Oh, yeah," he said with an uneasy smile.

"Predictable," Lorelai said with a smirk. 

She looked up as Rory came back into the room, and barely heard Luke mutter, "Yeah, predictable."

His mind was racing as Sookie came in carrying the turkey and the guests began to pass dishes around the table. He filled his plate without looking, knowing that he wouldn't be able to eat a bite of it. He picked at his food, half listening to Lorelai try to cajole Rory out of whatever had caused her sudden drop in mood. He was having trouble breathing, consciously forcing his lungs to fill with what seemed like a normal amount of air, and then forcing himself to expel it again. He thought about Christopher, and the fact that he had finally decided to step up and do what's right by Rory. He glanced over at her and wondered how he could have waited so long to be a part of her life. He looked over at Lorelai as she threw her head back and laughed at something one of the Renaissance freaks had said to her. He placed his hands in his lap, unconsciously twisting the linen napkin until it was riddled with wrinkles.

Lorelai looked over at him and asked, "What's the matter? Food not okay?"

"The food's great," Luke said as he quickly picked up his fork again and speared a miniscule amount of dressing, knowing he would probably choke on even that.

"You look very handsome tonight," Lorelai said in a soft voice.

Luke looked over at her and said, "And you're beautiful, but then again, when aren't you?"

"Charmer," she cooed as she reached over and rubbed his leg affectionately.

"That's me," he said as he took a sip of his water.

When Lorelai turned her attention to something Rory was asking, he stared down at his plate, fighting to keep the bile from rising in his throat. In just a few short days, his entire life had been irrevocably altered. He had a secret. A big, fat Earth shattering, deal breaking, possibly engagement ending secret. The woman he loved, who, at his insistence, promised to be open with him and told him something she knew could upset him, had faced her fears head on. He had a secret. A big secret. One that he had no intention of sharing with her. At least not yet. He blinked back the sudden moisture that threatened in his eyes as he realized that he had become the one thing he never, ever thought he would be. He, Lucas Danes, was a hypocrite. With a capital 'H.' 


	28. The Perfect Mess

**A/N: To those of you who are still reading, thank you for sticking it out. I have decided that I'm going to power through this story, so you can expect multiple updates. Here comes the hell and high water. Stick with me, I promise you a happy ending.**

**The Perfect Mess**

Luke was shocked by how easy it was to keep his mouth shut. It didn't hurt that he and Lorelai had very little time alone together over the past six weeks. Lorelai was rushing through the days in a happy haze. The inn was booked solid, she and Rory were making up for lost time, Thanksgiving melted into Christmas and then into the New Year. Luke was caught up in the whirlwind right along with her, and if he tried very hard, he could almost pretend that none of this was actually happening. Since finding out that he was April's father, he had not heard a peep from either April or Anna, reinforcing the fact that they wanted and needed nothing from him. He had not tried to contact them either. Since the aborted attempt on Thanksgiving Day, he had not dialed information again. It was easier this way. He went on. Of course, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays he was convinced that he needed to tell Lorelai right away. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, he was convinced that he never need say anything at all. He gave himself Sundays off to rest, so that he could be refreshed for another week of nagging worry, and determined denial.

There were a number of things that Luke had been truly thankful for since Thanksgiving. First, the holiday rush had precluded any real wedding planning. He knew that his head just wasn't in it. He sat and smiled as Lorelai and Rory pawed through bridal magazines and he'd up pictures for his perusal, but knew that they were only daydreaming and scheming. Second, Lorelai was consumed with both the inn and Rory, so they had not spent very much time alone. What time they did have, was usually spent in a heated rush of desire, and the hurried satisfaction of urgent needs. There were whispered words of love, but no long soul bearing conversations while holding hands in the dark. There was the usual laughter and teasing, but no intense psyche probing. And then, there was the simple happiness of a Christmas morning shared with those they loved most, and the sweet promise of a New Year destined to bring the culmination of many dreams. No, it had been easy to put off the inevitable. Easy to keep his mouth shut and tamp down the constant roiling in his gut. Easy to say nothing, because he knew that the day was coming soon enough when he would have to say it all, and for once in his life, Luke Danes was not ready to face this problem head on.

He had vowed to himself that once Rory went back to school, he would sit down with Lorelai and tell her what he had found out and ask her what she thought he should do. He would get it all out on the table, and discuss it calmly and rationally, so that they could move on. As he moved around the diner that night, he realized that the time had come at last. Lorelai had blown in just thirty minutes before, talking ninety to nothing about signs and how it had all magically come together, sealed with softly falling snow. June third. It was so soon. Less than five months away. He was both thrilled and petrified. There was a date, a church, a hall, a dress and apparently a tuxedo with his name on it. And Lorelai, the woman he had dreamed of marrying since the day he first realized that he loved her, which was about five minutes after she left his diner for the first time. He had to do it. He had to bite the bullet and tell her what had been going on with him.

He wiped down the counter again, stalling for time as he tried to envision Lorelai's reaction to the news that he had a kid he never knew. He came up blank. Would she be disgusted or sympathetic? Would she feel as confused as he did? Would she still love him? Want him? Need him? The questions ricocheted around his head as he thought about how she had thanked him repeatedly for being there for her during her painful separation from Rory and for allowing her space to reconnect with her daughter since she had come home. She praised his patience and understanding, told him that she loved him for his support and unflagging faith. She smiled when he shook off her effusive compliments, thinking that he was just being Luke. What she didn't know is that he felt small. He felt like as much of a deadbeat as he had always believed Christopher to be. It gnawed at him that Christopher was finally stepping up and taking some responsibility for Rory just at the time when Luke felt himself sinking into the quicksand of confusion and self doubt. Luke had enough of an ego to know that he had always considered himself the better man. He snorted as he tossed the rag under the counter and shook his head as he thought, _Yeah, look at me now_. 

He turned off the lights and locked the door on his way out. He walked slowly through the falling snow, trying to formulate his speech in his head. He had gone through several drafts in the past six weeks ranging from abject confession to full on rant. He had tried saying it out loud to his mirror. He tested the words in the dark as he lie alone in his bed. He practiced calm tone and understanding inflections, and prepared to plead his case. All of this for a child and a mother who wanted nothing to do with him. He knew her well enough to know that Lorelai would not react kindly to Anna keeping April's existence a secret from him. What she may not react so well to was his own reluctance to do anything about it. As he turned down the driveway, he stopped for a moment as he looked up at the house. Their house. After June third, this would officially be home. Change of address cards and all. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his army jacket and looked up at the snow falling steadily from the sky. She's so excited. It all came together today. The stars were in alignment, the Moon was in the seventh house and Jupiter aligned with Mars, the snow fell and she found the perfect dress. He looked down at his boots and turned back to the diner. 

He walked woodenly through the blanketed streets, unable to ruin it. He let himself back into the diner and walked to the phone. He dialed her number and smiled when she answered by saying, "Where are you?"

"I'm still here," he said as he glanced around the darkened dining room. "I have a headache, and I'm afraid I might be catching a cold," he said gruffly.

"Oh, poor baby. Well, come home and I'll heat you up some soup," she offered.

Luke closed his eyes at the mention of the word 'home' and said, "I'm really beat, and I just want to go to bed. Do you really want me to come there, or should I stay here?" he asked, praying she would choose the latter.

"It doesn't matter. Where will you be more comfortable?" she asked worriedly.

Luke smiled softly and said, "Well, I'm always more comfortable with you, but I'd hate to keep you up or get you sick."

"Why don't you stay there tonight, and if you aren't feeling better tomorrow, I'll come over and nurse you back to health," she said with a smile.

"Sounds like a good plan," he said with a nod, and a sigh of relief. "I'll see you in the morning," he told her.

"Oh, no you won't. I'm going down to New Haven remember? To see Rory's new apartment?" she reminded him.

"Oh, that's right. Well, call me tomorrow and let me know how things are. I'll see you when you get back," he promised.

"Go to bed, Burger Boy," she said with affectionate oblivion.

"Goodnight," he wished her softly.

"Night, Doll," she answered be fore hanging up.

Luke disconnected and then immediately dialed information. It was time to have some answers. It was time to make a plan.

XXXX

He did it. He went and talked to Anna. Aside from being a little put out at her lame excuses for not telling him that he had a kid, the talk actually went pretty well. He explained that he understood that they all had their own lives, but he wanted to contribute, to feel he was doing his part. After some initial resistance, Anna agreed, and they parted amicably. He left feeling pretty good. He hadn't lied when he told Anna that he was happy, he was. But, as he drove back to Stars Hollow, the questions started to plague him again. It baffled him to think that he had a kid who was a complete stranger to him. He had missed it all. April being born, holding April in his arms, her first steps, her first words, reading to her, everything. He had missed it all, and suddenly he was feeling it keenly. What if he and Lorelai were unable to have children? What if April was his only chance? Could he really go on like this, knowing she was out there and knowing nothing about her? He recalled that Rory wasn't much younger than April when he first met her, and realized that there was still a lot for him to be a part of, if he wanted it.

When he parked the truck in front of the diner, he spotted Kirk coming out of Weston's with a laptop computer under his arm. He suddenly remembered what Anna had said about April having a webpage, and rushed after Kirk calling, "Kirk! Hey, wait, Kirk!"

"What?" Kirk said as he turned back, clearly frightened. "I didn't do anything!" he said defensively as Luke approached.

Luke caught up to him and said, "I didn't say you did, Kirk."

"Well, then, uh, what?" Kirk asked nervously.

"Can you get the internet on that thing?" Luke asked as he pointed to the computer.

Kirk looked down at it and said, "Well, sometimes. You need to find a place that has internet access. Actually, Stars Hollow is becoming more and more of a hot spot. Just last week, I…" he started to say in a self congratulatory tone.

"I don't know anything about that stuff," Luke said cutting him off unceremoniously. "Can you show me how to look up a webpage on there?" he asked quickly.

Kirk frowned and asked, "On my laptop?"

"Yes, Kirk. I want to borrow your laptop to look at a website," Luke said impatiently.

Kirk's brow knitted as he said, "We'd have to find a WiFi hotspot."

"Uh, okay?" Luke said as he shrugged. "Where are they at?" he asked.

Kirk glanced at the computer and said, "I usually just roam around until I pick up a signal." 

When he didn't move, Luke asked him, "Well?"

"Oh! Now? Okay," Kirk said as he opened the laptop and started to wander up and down the street with Luke following close behind.

XXXX

He'd seen it. April's webpage. Pictures of birthday parties he had missed. Science fairs he hadn't been a part of. Friends he didn't know. A life he knew nothing about. After stewing and fretting about it for a little while, he snatched up the phone and called Anna. He explained that he did want contact with April, and that, if she wanted to, he wanted to know his daughter. He wanted his daughter to know him. Anna actually took it better than he had expected, and told him to call back after eight, when April was sure to be home. He waited impatiently, and at exactly 8:02, he called the Nardini house again. When April answered they made arrangements to meet at a park and spend some time getting to know each other.

He hung up the phone and then stared at it hard. He picked it up and started dialing again, but hung up before it rang. He shrugged into his coat and grabbed his keys before swinging the apartment door closed behind him. He walked quickly, his jaw set with determination as his long stride ate up the distance between the diner and Lorelai's house. Their house. What would be their house, he reminded himself. Without letting himself think too hard about it, he marched up the porch steps and into the house. "Lorelai!" he called as he stepped into the living room.

"Uuuhh, Luke, I'm upstairs!" she called back in an uncertain tone.

"Yeah, uh, can you come down? I have to talk to you about something," he said before he could chicken out again.

"Okay," she answered. "Yes, I will come down, but I'm coming down in my wedding dress," she warned.

"What? No!" Luke called in a panic.

"Yes!" she said emphatically.

Luke stammered, "It's bad luck for me to see the wedding dress."

Lorelai walked into the hall and yelled, "I know, but I need you to see this dress. There's something not right up here. It was too easy. I can't be objective anymore."

"But..." he started to protest.

"Coming down," she warned.

"But I don't..." he said, trailing off as he looked up to see her coming down the stairs in her pretty pink gown and veil.

She stopped in front of him and asked, "Well?"

Luke stared at the vision before him, the culmination of years of dreaming. Lorelai Gilmore was wearing the wedding gown she had picked out to marry him. He swallowed thickly and said, "It's...you're perfect."

Lorelai looked up at him and asked, "Really?" She turned and asked, "Have you seen the back? I think the train's a little weird, and I can take it back if you don't think..." she trailed off, her voice laced with doubt.

"It's perfect," he said firmly.

"Are you sure?" she asked again. When she saw the awed look in his eyes, she had her answer. He pulled her to him and kissed her sweetly. Lorelai smiled as she pulled away and took a step back. She nodded and said, "Okay. It's not bad luck if it's under five minutes," she called as she dashed back up the stairs.

Luke sighed, knowing that he was going to fail her again. Knowing that he couldn't tell her. Not now, not when he knew what his bride would look like. He dropped down on the couch and wrung his hands between his knees. 

Lorelai reappeared a few minutes later. She came down the steps wearing her sweats and pulling her hair up into a ponytail holder. "What did you want to talk to me about?" she asked as she flopped down onto the couch and smiled at him happily.

"Oh, um, uh," he said as his mind raced. "Taylor wanted me to tell you to call him about your booth for the carnival," he said, congratulating himself on coming up with something that was not yet another lie.

"Oh, okay," she said blankly. "That was what you wanted to talk about?" she asked as she cocked her head to the side.

'OH, uh, well, I just wanted to make sure that you understood that I would be in no way participating in this festival," he said quickly.

"Understood," she answered. "I think you made yourself perfectly clear the other five hundred times, but thanks for the reminder," she said with a smirk.

"Well, I wanted to be sure," he said with a sigh.

"You still feeling bad?" she asked.

"What?" he asked, his eyes widening at the question.

"Are you getting a cold?" she asked worriedly as she touched her hand to his forehead.

"Oh, uh, I'm not sure what it is," he stammered. 

Lorelai blinked at him and said, "Maybe you should go to bed early. Get some extra rest. You've been looking a little worn lately," she said with a concerned frown.

"Um, yeah, well, the holidays and stuff," he said lamely.

"I have some stuff I need to work on for the maple syrup convention," she told him. "Why don't you go on up, take a nice hot shower, and I'll fix you some tea," she offered.

Luke looked over at her, his stomach in knots as he saw the loving concern in her eyes. "You know, Thanks, but I think I'll just shower and hit the pillow," he said gruffly.

"Yeah, the rest will fix you up," she said as she leaned over to kiss him again.

Luke pecked her on the lips and said, "I'd hate for you to get whatever this is."

Lorelai smiled as she nodded at him and said, "Go get some sleep. I'll be up in a while."


	29. No, Just Like Lorelai and Luke

**No, Just Like Lorelai and Luke**

Luke felt like he couldn't stop babbling. "Well, I've got a kid. She's here," he said waving his hand. "You know, June third," he added.

Lorelai stopped walking and turned to look at him as she asked, "What about June third?"

Luke sighed and stammered, "It's just so soon."

"It's still months away," Lorelai said with a reassuring smile.

"Well, it feels close. It's everything, you know? It's all piling up. It's all happening so fast," he insisted.

"Well, if it's all happening too fast, you know, we can just postpone," she said slowly, tossing it out there, knowing that Luke would say no.

"Postpone the wedding?" he asked, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

Lorelai watched him carefully as she said, "Yeah, I mean, it's not set in stone. It just happened to work out for a date that soon. I don't want you going into this all jumbled up, you know?" she told him sincerely.

Luke shook his head and asked, "And that would be okay with you?"

"Sure," she answered, unable to look him in the eye.

"Well, that'll help," Luke said with a huge sigh of relief. "Yeah, that'll really help. That'll give me time to resolve this other thing, and everything will be better later on," he assured her.

"Well, great, then it's a done deal," she said as he leaned in to kiss her. She pulled back and said, "Think it might be a health-code violation, kissing this close to the cotton candy booth."

"Meet me back at my place later?" he asked as he held her close to him.

"Yeah, see you there," she said quickly, trying to act like she wasn't hurt. Luke gave her another peck on the lips and turned to walk away. Lorelai watched him go, trying to sort out the anger, hurt and confusion that were warring inside of her. With a sigh, she turned and walked back to the booth. 

She stumbled through the evening without hearing a word Rory said to her. As the carnival drew to a close, she asked Rory to take Paul Anka home, and walked across the street to the diner. Luke had already closed, and the lights were off, but when she tried the door, she found it unlocked. She closed and locked the door behind her and walked through the darkened diner to the lit stairwell. When she walked into the apartment, she saw Luke sitting in his chair, drinking a beer and watching a basketball game. She stopped dead in her tracks and whispered, "No secrets," as she felt the anger welling up inside of her.

Luke looked up and said, "Oh, hey, you're here."

"I'm here," she said as she let the door slam closed behind her. She saw him flinch at the sound and look up at her anxiously.

"Maybe I should have asked you to promise not to keep secrets," she said angrily. "My mistake, I thought that was implied. Next time I'll be sure to spell things out," she spat.

"Lorelai," Luke started as he rose from the chair.

Lorelai shook her head and held up her hand to stop his approach. She took a deep breath and said, "You know, maybe tonight isn't such a good night for us to be together."

"What do you mean?" he asked quickly. "Lorelai, let's talk about this," he said as he took a step closer.

"No, Luke, I'm angry," she said as she took a step back. "I didn't think I was. I tried to be understanding, and I do understand, I do," she insisted. "But, I'm also mad," she said shaking her head. "I guess I didn't realize how mad I was until I walked in here and saw you sitting there, like that," she said pointing to the chair. "That night you got so upset over a stupid phone call that you heard just as much of as I did, but no, I was wrong! I was keeping secrets from you, right?" she asked with a bitter laugh. "Well, you ought to know now what a secret really is," she said bitterly as she turned and reached for the doorknob.

Luke was across the room in three steps, pressing his hand against the glass to hold the door closed as he said softly, "You're right. You have every right to be angry."

"I know I do," she snapped at him.

"Please don't leave me," he said quickly. "I mean, please stay. Give me a chance to talk to you," he said earnestly. "Please," he added softly.

Lorelai turned, crossing her arms protectively over her chest as she said, "Talk."

Luke reached for her arm as he asked, "Can we sit down?"

Lorelai side steeped his hand and walked over to the kitchen table where she sat down and stared petulantly at the surface. Luke released the breath he had been holding and rubbed his hands together nervously. "Okay, well, I guess it was too much to hope that you would take it this well," he tried to joke. When she didn't move he said quickly, "I was scared to tell you."

She didn't look up as she asked, "Why?"

"I was confused. Yeah, I know, I've already told you that a million times, but I don't know how else to describe it," he said as he adjusted the blue cap on his head. "I was afraid you wouldn't understand. I thought maybe you would think it was all just too much, that maybe we couldn't work it out," he admitted. He began to pace the floor as he said, "I was so happy. You were so happy. Rory had just come home, and you were on top of the world. My world had just been turned upside down," he said as he gestured broadly. "I didn't know what to think. I had a kid for twelve years, and I had no clue! How could I not know?" he asked incredulously. "And, they didn't want anything from me. April was just trying to win a science fair. She didn't, by the way. A solar pizza oven," he babbled. "I just, I couldn't believe it. And then, I thought, well, they don't want or need me around, so why can't I just go on as I was, you know," he said anxiously. "I wanted to tell you. I needed to tell you. This has been tearing me up inside," he said as he sat down in the chair across from her and folded his hands on the table. "I was scared. I didn't know what to do," he finished lamely.

"Two months, Luke," she said softly.

"I know," he answered as he hung his head in shame. 

"For two months, you just let me go on, tripping along, completely oblivious to this huge, huge thing in your life," she said in a raspy voice. She looked up at him and said blankly, "You knew at Thanksgiving."

"Yes," he answered quietly.

Lorelai nodded and pursed her lips as she absorbed the information. "No wonder you were so cool about Chris paying for Yale," she said bitterly.

"Don't you see? I was no better than him," Luke said angrily.

Lorelai scoffed and asked, "How so you figure?"

"I had a kid that I wasn't taking care of," he pointed out.

"That you didn't know existed. Believe me, Chris was fully aware from the time I peed on the stick, Luke. There's no comparison," she said firmly.

"But," he started to argue.

"This isn't the issue," she said, cutting him off. "The problem here is that you didn't trust me, trust us, enough to tell me," she said as she looked him dead in the eye.

"I couldn't lose you," he said desperately.

"What made you think you would?" she demanded.

"Oh, come on, Lorelai!" he said as he jumped up and started to pace again. "We were getting married. We talked about having kids of our own. How was I to know how you'd react to this kid just showing up out of the blue? This isn't what you signed on for," he told her.

"I signed on for a life with you," she shot back. "I signed on for a real relationship with someone I thought was not only my partner, but my friend. I signed on for a guy I thought that I could trust, who trusted me back. I signed on for no secrets," she said pointedly.

"I do, I do trust you," he said quickly.

Lorelai winced and said, "Yeah, maybe. But can I trust you?" She looked down and asked, "How can I know if you're hiding stuff from me? I mean, this was a little bigger than, 'Gee, honey, I dinged the fender of the car,' or something like that," she said with a bitter laugh. "You buy houses and don't tell me. You had our kids in your head and didn't tell me. You had a kid for real and didn't tell me," she finished quietly.

"You know that I love you," he said as he squatted down next to her chair. "Do you believe that?" he asked.

"Yes," she whispered.

"You know that I have loved you for much longer than we have been together. This is what I've been hoping for, you and me," he said sincerely. "This is what I wanted. Don't you understand that I saw all of that slipping away?" he asked raggedly. "Everything I wanted, gone because of something I did a dozen years ago, and had no knowledge of," he told her.

"Who is she?" Lorelai asked.

"What?" Luke answered with a confused frown.

"The mother. Who is she?" she asked again.

"Her name is Anna Nardini. We dated for about eight months," hr told her honestly. "We never, I mean, we liked each other, but it was never all that serious," he explained. "We were very different, and I think she just kind of lost patience with me," he told her. "I haven't seen her since then. Hell, I've hardly even thought about her," he said rubbing his hand over his face. He looked up at her, his eyes pleading for understanding. "You have to know that, other than the fact that she's April's mother, she's nothing more than a girl I once knew and liked," he said sincerely. "There was no bitter break up. Just two people who liked each other, but weren't really in the same place, you know?" he asked.

"Why didn't she tell you?" Lorelai asked bluntly.

Luke grunted as he pushed himself up and into the chair next to hers. He sighed and gave her a rueful smile and said, "Jam hands."

"What?" Lorelai asked, not able to appreciate the joke.

"She knew I didn't like kids," he said with a shrug.

"You would have liked your own kid," she said incredulously.

"Well, I'd like to think so, but apparently Anna didn't," he said as he rubbed his chin.

"That's crazy," Lorelai said shaking her head. "You still had a right to know." 

Luke nodded and said, "I agree." He sighed and said, "There's nothing I can do about that now, though." He looked over at her and said, "I really wrestled with this, Lorelai. You know me, you know how I am," he said with a small smile. "I want to know April," he said softly.

"Of course you do," she replied gently. "And you should. She is a lucky girl to have you as a dad," she said sincerely. "That isn't the issue here, either," she said as she looked down at her tightly clenched hands. 

"Lorelai, please. Just give me some time. Let me get my head around all of this. I promise, I'll work everything out," he said sincerely.

"Time," she whispered as she looked up at him, her mind flashing to that day in Doose's Market when he told her that he just needed some time to think.

"It won't be forever," he assured her.

"God, I hope not," she answered with raised eyebrows.

Luke shook his head and said, "I'm sorry about June third. I know you were excited. I just, I feel like, I don't know, like I have no control or something," he tried to explain.

Lorelai blinked, taken aback. "No control over what?" she asked.

"Everything. April, yanking a hair from my head and running it through a lab. Anna not bothering to tell me that I had a kid. Sookie telling me that I have no input into my own wedding, and then you planning it all and basically telling me when and where to show up," he said throwing his hands up into the air.

"I thought you wanted to get married," Lorelai shot back. "You've been on me for months, telling me to make something happen with Rory so that we could get married," she pointed out. "Now, suddenly, when it's your life that's out of kilter, you jump at the chance to call it off," she said angrily.

"Postpone," he corrected. "And, no, I still want to marry you. I do. I want that and the kids and the plants. That is, if you still want to marry me," he added uncertainly.

Lorelai looked at him and said, "Yeah, I do."

"Just give me a little time to get this lined out, okay? That's only fair, isn't it?" he asked.

Lorelai nodded slowly and said, "Yeah, that's only fair."

"I can't tell you how sorry I am," he said contritely.

Lorelai nodded, not wanting to hear more apologies at the moment. "I know. I should get home. Rory's there," she said as she gestured to the door.

"We'll talk more?" he asked anxiously.

"I will if you will," she answered, with an edge to her voice as she stood to leave.

Luke nodded and closed his eyes for a second as he said, "I hate it when you're mad at me, but you go on and be as mad as you want to. I deserve it."

Lorelai sighed as she looked at him and said, "I imagine you'll beat yourself up worse than I ever could." She walked over to the door and said, "I'll see you tomorrow."

Luke got up and followed her, holding the apartment door open as he looked down at her nervously. "Tomorrow," he said with a nod.

Lorelai looked back at him and said softly, "We'll be okay."

Luke's gaze was steady as he whispered, "God, I hope so."


	30. Actions Don't Speak & Speakers Don't Act

**A/N: I'll apologize for any typos now. I can't bring myself to edit too carefully.**

**When Actions Don't Speak and Speakers Don't Act**

What do you do when your world is spinning out of control? You talk a good game. You pretend that things are okay. You try to go on. You tell her you're sorry about postponing the wedding. You offer to help cancel the wedding preparations she was so happy to have secured. You tell her that you just need a little alone time to get to know your kid, and then you tell her how much you appreciate her giving you the time and space you need. You happily come home and tell her what you have learned about her that day. You talk to her about all of the things you're feeling weird about, like geometry, and confess that you bought a book to try to keep up. You carefully schedule your life so that you juggle the time you spend with your daughter and the time you spend with the woman you love, hoping that you're giving them both enough. You jump through hoops trying to keep your kid's mother happy so that you can continue building the tenuous relationship you're building with a twelve year old you didn't know anything about three moths ago. 

You sit through dinner with her parents, knowing that they hate you. You agree to a weekend in Martha's Vineyard with Rory and her snotty boyfriend. And there it hits you that maybe things aren't going as well as you had hoped. You realize that you didn't get her a Valentine's Day gift, so you let the snotty rich kid bail you out so that you don't feel more like an ass than you already do. You assure her that you love her. You tell her that you want to marry her and that at your wedding you're going to have lobster, and that night you connect in a way you haven't in months. You wake up curled up together, having slept better than you have in you-don't-know-how-long. You have a leisurely breakfast in bed, talking about days at the beach, and the possibility of eloping, skipping the whole terrifying wedding thing. Despite the dramatic end to the weekend, you laughed and chatted all of the way back, comfortable and secure that things were back on track. Once you're back in the Hollow, though, Caesar mentioning April douses the end of weekend high, put you back on the same awkward footing you had been before.

So, what does a man who lets his actions speak do when he knows that things are not going the way they should be? This is what he does; he pretends he doesn't see it. He pretends that the elephant isn't in the room with them. He talks. He does the little things. The easy things. He carries spiders to safety, and makes s'mores in the kitchen of the diner. He offers to send the bag Anna sent over back, and turns a blind eye her abuse of it. He calls her from the road every night, and talks and talks and talks. He tells her about the first time April called him dad, barely able to contain the pride in his voice, and carefully ignores the hesitation in her voice. When he gets back, he throws himself into entrenching his place as April's dad, and kind of forgets that he's supposed to be Lorelai's partner. He refuses her help, and then begs for it when he fails miserably. He lets her bail him out, and then fails to defend her when his child's mother threatens to yank the rug out from under him.

And so, you face the questions. What do you do when the woman you love goes AWOL? When you know she's avoiding you, but you don't know what to do about it? What do you do when she flips out and storms into the diner begging you to elope, crying and pleading with you? What do you do when the woman you have loved for the better part of a decade has to ask you if you love her? What do you do when she tells you it's now or never? What do you do as you watch her walk away from you? The answer is easy, because you've been doing it for months. Nothing. You do nothing.

XXXX

What do you say when you see everything you have always wanted slipping away from you? What do you say when the man you love has shut you out of his life? What do you say when he tells you not to come around until after his daughter has left? What do you say when friends and family ask about April and you have to tell them that you don't know, because you haven't met her. What do you say when he doesn't come around and decide he's ready to marry you? What do you say when you just keep drifting further and further apart? What do you say when his neglect hurts almost as much as when he compares you to a cartoon character? What do you say when he is stubbornly refuses all offers of help until his back is up against the wall?

You say nothing, because you know that the one thing you absolutely cannot do is push him. You know what the result will be. You know that if you back him into a corner, you probably are not going to get what you want, so you keep your mouth shut. Tight. 

How can you explain the pain you feel when you find out that he hasn't even told Anna that he was engaged, and that you would be a part of April's life too? How do you talk to your daughter and your best friend about how he's breaking your heart? How do you accept your mother's comforting hand, knowing that she had been right all along? How do you console yourself when you know in the bits and pieces of that broken heart that only man you have ever truly loved doesn't love you enough to marry you? How do you tell yourself that once again, the dream you have chased for so long is still out of reach?

You say nothing, because you know it will hurt the people that love you as much as it hurts you.

You keep it all inside, pushing it down, shoving it aside, swallowing your pride along with the slights and hoping against hope that one day he'll wake up and see what he is doing to you. And then the day comes when you realize that you can't live this half life anymore. You go to ground, trying to sort it out in your head, avoiding him until you are absolutely sure that you have no other recourse. When that becomes overwhelmingly apparent, you snap, and it all comes flooding out. You toss your pride down the toilet and you beg and plead with him to marry you. You tell him that you love him and are committed to him, but all you hear in return is his stumbling and stammering. You pour your heart out on the street, and all he hears is that you dared to speak to Anna. It's then you realize that it's been over for a long time. He'd checked out, he wasn't hearing a word you said. So, you do it, you give it that one final push, which turned into a shove. "Now or never!" you demand. And when he doesn't say now, you have all of the answer you need. 

You stop talking, you stop pleading, and you walk away. And, after months and months of keeping your mouth shut, keeping your opinion to yourself, and telling yourself that it will all work out, you give up. You open your hands and let go of that dream, because it's done and gone. You close your mouth once and for all, and you do the one thing that will absolutely, unequivocally put the final nail in the coffin holding the tattered remains of the whole package. You say nothing, and you let your actions speak.


	31. Perspective

**Perspective**

Analogies were a funny thing. Sometimes people got them, sometimes they didn't. Lorelai could tell by the confusion clearly written all over Sookie's face that morning that she hadn't gotten it. Okay, so the bumper thing is out. She'd have to come up with a better one for her daughter. Oh! Split ends! There isn't a woman alive who doesn't know the agony of split ends. The months and months of waiting for your hair to grow out to that perfect length. It took careful conditioning, painstaking comb-throughs, and tubes of hot oil warming in a cup by the sink. All of the care in the world focused on one goal. Only to realize at the exact moment that it reaches the perfect length that the last six inches were all a mess of split ends, and no matter what the hair product people claim, there's no repairing that. The only thing you can do is whack it off and start all over again. She sat for a moment, staring into space as she realized that there was no way on Earth she could possibly compare the demise and demolition of her relationship with Luke to Rory by using the split ends analogy.

XXXX

Funny how when you're wounded, you seek shelter anywhere you can. He almost couldn't believe he had followed TJ home. He almost couldn't believe that he was sipping white Russians and trying to fend off Liz's well meaning but probing questions. He almost couldn't believe that they were comparing his relationship with Lorelai to a Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock movie. He almost couldn't believe that he was hearing talk of wormholes, the space/time continuum, and string theory all being bandied about by T.J., of all people. He almost couldn't believe that the tunaloaf had not even warmed through because the oven was broken. He almost couldn't believe that he ran into Lorelai at a store he knew neither of them frequented. And if he closed his eyes and wished hard enough, he almost couldn't believe that she had begged him to marry her and then slept with Christopher. Almost.

XXXX

She sighed heavily as started the car. She glanced around to see if perhaps anyone had taken note of the crazy woman bawling her eyes out in the grocery store parking lot, before she backed out carefully. Stupid heart, why did it have to leap when she saw him? Stupid girl, she thought as she remembered the spark of hope that lit within her when he said he wouldn't be so mad, eventually. For a moment there, she thought that maybe, just maybe they could get past it. For that split second, she actually believed that he cared enough to try to work it out. But then he said the words she dreaded most. Stop fighting it. We don't belong together. Stop pretending it's something it's not. She blinked back the tears as she tried to concentrate on getting home in one piece. Just get home. Once you're at home, you can let go, you can stop fighting it once and for all. Just get home and you can curl up on the sofa and have a good cry because the man you love doesn't love you back. And never will again. You made damn sure of that.

XXXX

Anger was so much easier than the pain. Anger blunted the edges and blurred the reality, softening the blow with righteous indignation. There was no need to think about why she would do that, because she did it, and she told you that she did. That was that. No need to analyze it any further. It is what it is. Go with it. Use it. Let the anger fuel you through the days, let it carry you through the nights. Whatever you do, don't think too hard about it. If you do, you may actually figure out that it was your own fault.

XXXX

Drift through your days like you're in a fog. Smile and joke and laugh so that people will think you're alright, even though you know you never will be again. Your heart isn't just broken, it's gone. You didn't realize that when you did what you did, you wouldn't automatically get it back. He still has it. Probably packed in a box with discarded hair scrunchies, a pair of pink, warm, fuzzy socks, cinnamon toothpaste and every picture he ever had of the two of you. Did he throw it all away? You wonder if your heart is in that box moldering away at the town dump. Maybe you should go out there and look for it, because if he really doesn't want it, you might like to have it back. Not so that you can give it to someone else, just so that you can, you know, keep on living.

XXXX

You don't need a woman in your life. You have a girl of your own. Every day you get a little closer. Every day you learn something new, you see the world through her eyes, you discover that life is still worth living. You let her make you do all of the things that the woman made you do, but this time, you're determined not just to follow along, but to be a part of it. You'll be a part of it because you want this permanently embedded in her memories. You want her to be able to sit back one day and think of the things she was able to do with her father, even if she didn't know him for the first twelve years of her life.

You do things you never imagined yourself doing, even for the woman you once loved. You build a giant bonfire in the town square to kill the smell of rotting pickles. You listen to the crazy townies babble around you as Taylor goes on and on about permits, letting it all roll off your back as your daughter hands you a disgustingly charred marshmallow squished between two Oreo cookies. You try to inject enthusiasm to voice as she hands it to you, and then you see them. The silver car driving slowly by as Lorelai stares out of the window at the bonfire you had built for the new woman in your life. And it hits you, you were right. She doesn't belong here toasting marshmallows in the Stars Hollow town square. Not anymore. She belongs there, with him, in a silver Volvo. Doesn't she? He heard April calling to him and quickly took a bite of the vile cookie concoction, pronouncing it delicious and turning his attention back to the girl who won't break his heart. At least, he hoped she wouldn't, there wasn't much left of it.

XXXX

You throw yourself into it thinking maybe this was how it was supposed to be. Maybe everyone was right. Maybe you had just been waiting for Christopher. But, you know that's a lie. You know that you're just fooling yourself, and him and everyone else around you because you can't even think about the alternative. Him. You can't bear the thought of running into him, so you skip the town meetings you used to love. You run your errands in neighboring towns, avoiding the square like the plague. You don't even think of him by name anymore, because doing that makes you picture his face. How he was that night on the porch of the Dragonfly, his eyes intense, his hands on your waist, his lips soft, his chest heaving with anxiety and desire. You can't think of him by name because you remember how many times you whispered, screamed and whimpered his name as he touched you like no one ever had before or ever will again. You can't think of him by name because his name starts with the same letter as love, and you know that they are too intertwined for you to separate. The 'L' words are always the hardest to say.

You throw yourself into it because you have left room for nothing else in your life. You tell yourself that this has been a long time coming. Look at how good it is, he is, how hard he's trying. He's everything the other wasn't in so many ways, you've always known that. Now you choose to look only at the good ways, the ones that suit your purposes, the ones that make you feel a little better about who you are and who you're with now. You go on romantic drive-in dates and try to wish you weren't dreaming about being home on the couch with a blue ball cap on the coffee table. You tell your friends about how open and honest he is with you, sharing his life with you in the way the other never would. You speak your mind, and even though it causes a little tension, he comes around to your way of thinking, and actually listens to and appreciates your input. So you go with him to Paris. You agree that sometimes it feels like nothing has changed and no time has passed, even though you know that it has. When he asks if you're happy you tell him that you are, because you want to be happy, desperately. He tells you that he remembers everything about you and tells you that he would do anything for you. And at that moment it's true. You love him and he loves you. You're floating on a cloud, knowing that none of it is real. There with the Paris dawn lightening the sky he tells you that he doesn't want to wait. You protest, knowing you're not ready. You tell him that you should wait. You know it's not right. You know it's not real. You know that it's only the magic of Paris. But, he insists so persuasively that you go along with it all knowing that this might be your last grab at the brass ring. Or gold ring as the case may be.

XXXX

You panic, still reeling from the angry words she'd hurtled at you earlier, still worried that something is really, really wrong. You're beside yourself, unsure of what to do, uncertain of how she'll react. You hold off as long as you can, knowing that you're about to be the bad guy, and knowing she's going to be angry. You approach with caution, reaching out to touch her and feeling her warm skin. You panic even more, knowing that you are not equipped to deal with this. She's sick, and you're it. Her mother is thousands of miles away, so you pick up the phone and you dial the number you have always dialed before, praying that she'll pick up and tell you what you need to do. Thankfully, she does, and then you do.

You sit in the hospital waiting room as they operate on your child and you realize for the thousandth time that you hardly know her. You sit there resenting the years that were stolen from you and vow to make the coming years count for something. You resolve that from that moment on you will be the best dad that ever was, because you would rather die than hear those words again. You look up and there she is standing there uncertainly, asking how your daughter is. You're so relieved to see her you start babbling about transplants, and then the doctor interrupts, assuming you're married. You look over, awkward and uncomfortable as she tries to explain, pressing her hand to her chest earnestly. And then you see it. You saw the ring, but you really didn't see the train hurtling toward you until you were thrown from the tracks. She married him. She married HIM. It's done, the dream is dead. And then you realize that you had never really let it go. No matter what either of you had done. You sit near your sleeping daughter flipping through the channels, trying to distract yourself from the truth, but even on TV, the truth keeps smacking you in the face. She's married to him.

XXXX

It was a mistake. She knew that. Right away. But what had she done in the past seven months that wasn't a mistake? This was one she had to live with. This was one she was not going to walk away from, or pretend it didn't happen. This mistake was rearranging his daughter's room to make room for his other daughter. The one he hadn't abandoned. No, stop, don't think that way. He's changed. He's grown up now. He's committed. And so is she. Come what may, she was going to make this work. She had to. It was her last chance.

XXXX

He heard the rumblings when he let himself listen. She wasn't leaving Stars Hollow. They were staying here. In her house. In our house. The one he had remodeled to live with her in matrimonial bliss. The one that he had kept together with spit and nails for the last decade. The one that he'd spent night after night making love to her in. They were staying, although he had hoped that they would go. It would be so much easier if they would just go. If they would go, I wouldn't have to think about who was sleeping in my bed, he thought as he sat on the edge of the double bed he had bought to make room for her.

He looked across the room at April's neatly made bed and thought about how much he missed her, even though she had just left. The apartment was too quiet. Haunted with ghosts. The sinkers in the bathroom wall were an ugly reminder of the shelf that used to hang there. He needed to patch those. Every table and chair a reminder of the passion that sometimes didn't make it to the bedroom. He eyed the cerulean in the tablecloth and tried to focus on his daughter. After all, that was the choice he had ultimately made, right? Not that he realized that at the time.

April had pointed it out to him in her usual blunt manner. Not long after she had come to stay with him, she cornered him and the grilling began. He finally broke down and gave her a highly sanitized version of what had happened with Lorelai. She had looked him in the eye and said, "Okay, well, you kept it a secret. You postponed the wedding. You kept us apart. You know, I could never really figure that out. Why didn't you want me to meet Lorelai?" she asked.

"It's not that," he said insistently. "Things were just so crazy. Happening so fast," he insisted. "I wanted time to get to know you on my own first."

"But I met everyone else. Caesar, Patty, Babette, Kirk, Lane, Zach, Liz, T.J., Jess, even Rory," she pointed out.

"Yeah, but, it was different with Lorelai," he told her.

April laughed and said, "Well, duh, it should have been. She was going to be my step-mother, right? Seems to me that I should have met her first, not last," she said bluntly.

"Maybe you're right, but I wasn't thinking that way at the time," he admitted.

"Did you fall out of love with her? I've heard that can happen when you've been with someone for a while," she said matter of factly.

"No, I didn't fall out of love with her," he said impatiently.

"Do you still love her?" she asked.

"It's complicated," he said for the millionth time.

"It usually is," she said knowingly. "But I know she loved you. You could see it. Anyone could see it. That had to hurt her, Dad, don't you think?" she asked.

"I don't know," he said quietly as he sank down in his chair, rubbing the worn upholstery with his hands.

"So, you screwed up. Fix it," she said with a shrug.

"I screwed up?" he asked incredulously, pointing to his chest.

"Well, yeah. Unless there's more to the story," she said pointedly.

Luke looked at his thirteen year old daughter and said only, "Maybe I did, but there's no fixing it now."

"Did you try?" she asked simply. Instead of answering he stood up and said, "I need to go downstairs and check some inventory so I can have my order ready tomorrow. You okay here?" he asked as he walked to the door.

"Yeah, Dad, I'm fine," she had answered with a long suffering sigh.

Now, Luke looked around the empty apartment and said out loud, "No, I didn't try. I was too angry, too hurt. I didn't try and now it's too late."

He flopped back onto the bed, resting his arm across his forehead as he listened to the silence closing in around him.

XXXX

A baby! Was he nuts? Weren't things crazy enough? First eloping in Paris, then the house, and then the wedding thing, it was all too much. They already had their daughter and his daughter and everything else to worry about, and he wants to have a baby! How could she even think about having a baby? she wondered. You didn't think twice with Luke, the little voice inside her head reminded her. Yeah, but that was different, she argued with herself. Different how? the voice asked. Luke deserved to have a kid of his own, and Christopher already has two, she told the voice. No, the difference is that you wanted Luke's baby, you don't want another with your husband, the voice taunted. Well, he has his kid now, and apparently that was all he needed, so you don't need to worry about Luke anymore, she told herself.

Oh, but the sight of him pushing that stroller down the sidewalk. The proud smile as he looked at that little baby girl. She was only his niece; just imagine if it was their baby. It should have been their baby, and she had been imagining it all day. That was the problem. She didn't want a baby with anyone else, even Christopher. It was as simple as that, and as complicated all at the same time. She'd made her bed, and damn it, she was lying in it with her husband. She'd married him, couldn't that just be enough?

XXXX

He'd had enough. No more. He was fighting back, and he didn't care what it took. And no matter what his lawyer said, damn it, she wasn't going to take April from him. She'd already robbed him of twelve years, wasn't that enough? he wondered as he parked the truck in front of the diner. He climbed from the cab, slammed the door closed behind him and reached into the bed of the truck to get the tools that he had left rattling around back there. When he looked up, he saw Christopher coming toward him looking pissed off. Oh, buddy, you do not want a piece of me tonight, Luke thought as he crossed the street to meet the smug little fucker in the square. They immediately started in on each other, two grown men settling their grudge match like sixth graders. When they each stumbled off to their own corners, Luke realized that he knew why he was pissed off at Christopher, but he had absolutely no idea why Christopher would come after him. After all, he had won, hadn't he? He had the girl they both had wanted. He stopped at the diner door, the tools once again forgotten as he watched Christopher climb into his yuppie-mobile and drive away. I wonder what that was, he thought as he unlocked the door and staggered inside.

XXXX

He shook her hand. He came to her, asking a favor as an old friend, a favor that she was more than happy to grant, and then he thanked her and shook her hand. As she watched him walk out of the door she sighed and looked down at the envelope he had given her with his lawyer's address printed in his neat block letters. She ran her fingertip over the writing, knowing she would feel the indentation of his pen. He always pressed too hard. I used to tell him that he would never make a good spy, she thought with a fond smile. He had been so nervous, so scared to ask this of her. What he didn't realize was that no matter what had happened between them, she would never let him down again. She couldn't let him down, it had already cost them too much for him to lose April now. She blinked back the tears that burned behind her eyes. She owed him this much. If only for all of the years he had been her friend, her go-to guy. Now she would be his. It was the least she could do. She just wished he hadn't shaken her hand like that, a slap in the face would have stung less.

XXXX

Luke sat in the hallway, trying to make polite conversation with Anna, still hoping that they could ultimately work something out. But, that hope went flying out of the window the minute the words, 'You bailed on Lorelai,' came out of her mouth. How dare she presume to know anything about what happened between Lorelai and him? How could this woman possibly begin to know about what having April suddenly pop into his life had cost him? She was bitter because he had never loved her the way she wanted him to. She was angry because no one would ever love her the way he had loved Lorelai. She was threatened because he was a far better father to April than she ever gave him the chance to be or wanted to give him credit for. He sat there, listening to the lawyers argue back and forth. He spoke up when he felt he needed to, despite what his lawyer and the judge told him. They didn't understand. He was fighting for his life, here. This is the choice he had made. He had chosen to be April's father because he felt he had to, and now they wanted to take that from him.

He sat quietly as the judge began to read the personal reference Lorelai had written for him. He thanked God that he had decided to ditch Liz's well intentioned letter, knowing that the judge would probably not be too impressed by young Luke's propensity to put small creepy creatures in his sister's bed or his amazing talent for dangling spit over her face and sucking it back in at the last second. As he listened to Lorelai's words praising his presence in Rory's life and explained simply and sincerely what he had meant to them over the years, he felt the lump rising in his throat. As she read the last line, he blinked back the tears that sprung to his eyes, knowing that Lorelai's words were true. No matter what they had done, or how they had hurt one another, they would always be there when they needed each other. That was what friends do. And, after all, they had been good friends long before they were lovers.

XXXX

The first words that sprung to mind when she saw him standing at the nurses' station were, 'Of course, there he is.' She approached him with caution, knowing that if Christopher bothered to show up then and there, her already troubled marriage would be done for. All she knew was that she couldn't let that happen, no matter how good it felt to have him there. She tried to thank him politely for his concern and send him on his way, but Emily stepped in with the subtlety of a bulldozer, and Luke was more than accommodating to her demands. He smiled at her warmly, and Lorelai knew he must still be riding high over the result of the custody hearing. She watched him go, off to play errand boy for a woman who had never treated him with anything but contempt. She sighed and pulled her phone from her bag, preparing to leave yet another message for her missing husband.

Later, she saw him leaving bags of food at the nurses' station and walked over to greet him. They chatted for a moment before he started listing off the contents of each bag. Lorelai smiled at him, knowing that this was his way of showing her that he still cared. If nothing else, Luke had always been an excellent provider. They were discussing the merits of the fish bag when Christopher showed up, hostile and suspicious. She looked between the two men as Chris took a snipe at Luke, and Luke simply stared him down. When Luke left, she tried to reassure Christopher, but he was having none of it. Rory, Logan and Emily appeared and Christopher went with Rory and Logan to see Richard as Emily stayed with her daughter and watched her errant husband walk away. She offered platitudes which Lorelai found strangely comforting, and found herself sharing a rare moment of complete understanding with her mother. She took another glance at the fish bag and tried not to compare Chris' behavior to Luke's. She knew that was a contest Chris would never, ever win.

XXXX

He looked up and saw her standing on the sidewalk outside of the diner, staring through the window with him. He blinked at seeing her there, a spot that she had carefully avoided for nine months. He lifted a hand in greeting, and she lifted hers in return. He watched her slowly turn and walk away, and knew that something had just happened, but he wasn't sure what it was.

XXXX

It was over. Actually, it had never really started. She drove home from the inn slowly, knowing that he would be there, and dreading saying what she knew she had to say. She had truly wanted to save her marriage, but she couldn't, not at the price Christopher was asking. She had walked away from the diner that day knowing that she had her answer. Funny, when Luke's insecurities about Christopher had spurred her to cut off all contact with him, she had done so without a second thought. But today, when she had just resolved to so the same thing in order to preserve her marriage, she realized that she just couldn't do it. She couldn't imagine her life without Luke in it. Even if it was only as an acquaintance, an old friend, an old flame. That was why she could never leave Stars Hollow. That was why she couldn't marry Christopher all over again in front of her family and friends. That was why she couldn't even consider having his baby. She loved Luke. She would always love Luke. And even if she could never have him again, she had to allow herself time to mourn the loss of his love. She hadn't. She didn't want to feel the pain anymore. She just wanted to be happy after being sad for so long. First losing Rory, and then losing Luke, it was all too much. She was sick of losing. She had wanted to win. She had wanted someone to choose her.

So, she'd jumped into Christopher's waiting embrace, knowing that it was wrong, but choosing to take what she could get. She didn't deserve any more than that. The sad thing was, that despite all of the hurt, the disappointments, the pain they had caused one another over the years, she realized today that Christopher didn't deserve this either. All he had done since they had gotten together was try to make her happy. And, she wanted so badly to be happy, but she couldn't. As much as she loved him, she didn't love him the way you should love the person you have vowed to spend your life with. He knew it. He saw it first, but she didn't want to see. She wanted to be happy. She wanted to want him, the one that wanted her. Not the one that let her walk away.

XXXX

Of course, he heard it all. The gossip in the diner, Liz and T.J.'s late night conversation about him, the careful way that everyone was watching him for a reaction, and the rampant speculation about what had finally been their downfall. He wondered if they expected him to jump up and click his heels or something. He wasn't going to. He couldn't, because while the news did give him a small rush of satisfaction, he knew what it was like to fail at a marriage. Hell, he thought that it was almost harder to fail at the ones you weren't that into to begin with, because you felt that you just hadn't given it your best shot. They were all wondering what was going to happen now. And frankly, so was he.


	32. Are You Still My Luke Danes?

TCL Ch 32

**Are You Still My Luke Danes?**

He hated to break it to the nut jobs that packed his diner each day watching him like a monkey in the zoo, but life was not a romantic comedy. At least, not his life, especially not now, when there was not much comedy and absolutely no romance going on. They all thought he would drop everything and run to her. They waited for him to knock on her door and sweep her into a kiss that bent her backwards with passion. Well, they were going to be sadly disappointed. They watched to see if he strode into the Dragonfly, lifted her into his arms and carried her off with him. Well, he was no Richard Gere, so sorry, folks. Each time the bells jingled, all heads swiveled to see if today was the day that she walked back through that door, but all they got for their trouble was a nasty case of whiplash. Not that all of these scenarios weren't playing on a constant loop in his head. Much.

XXXX

She took it, the time that she needed to sort through her feelings. She faced it head on, admitting to herself that she still loved Luke, but hoping that, someday, she could move past it and possibly love someone else again. She knew her feelings for him were still there, bubbling under the surface, but she had to accept what he had told her. He didn't feel the same. She knew he cared about her. She knew he still had feelings for her. They just weren't the feelings she wanted or needed. She knew that, and had to face that, no matter how much it hurt. So, she took her time. She tried to get her feet back under her again. She owned up to the failure of her marriage, and was as honest as she could be with everyone involved, including her mother. And day by day, little by little, she started to feel better. More like herself. More like the person she wanted to be. She smiled to herself as she plucked her Pop Tart from the toaster and thought, Rory would be so proud of me, I'm starting to feel like a grownup now.

XXXX

After a day of intense negotiation and frantic relocation, Lane and Zach's baby shower was officially underway. Lorelai made the rounds, chatting and checking on things as she went. As she met up with Rory near the door. "Perfect timing. You save me from a three-hour tour of the S.S. Lurk," Lorelai said in a low voice as they stepped outside.

Rory frowned and asked, "The what?"

"Ah, Kirk bought Luke's old boat," Lorelai said with a smirk.

"Does he even have a driver's license?" Rory asked worriedly.

Lorelai shoo her head and said, "I don't think so."

Rory shuddered and said, "Well, I'm staying out of the water."

"Good kid," Lorelai answered with a nod. Rory asked about the confrontation she had mediated between Lane and Mrs. Kim, and Lorelai pressed Rory for information about her interview. When Lorelai asked about Logan's whereabouts, Rory looked ticked off as she related what had happened with Logan's business and how he seemed to be coping with the setback.

Anxious to change the subject, Rory said, "Oh, hey, Lane asked me to be her Lorelai Gilmore to her kids, like you were to her."

"Oh!" Lorelai gasped, touched by Lane's sentiment.

Rory nodded and said, "Yeah, big shoes to fill."

Lorelai smiled and said, "Well, luckily, we have similar feet." When Rory giggled, Lorelai pressed her hand to her heart and said softly, "Oh."

"What?" Rory asked quickly.

Lorelai shook her head, embarrassed by her own sentimentality. "Oh, it's nothing," she said with a wave of her hand.

"Come on," Rory cajoled.

Lorelai smiled lovingly and gestured to her daughter as she said, "I just think my first pancake turned out pretty darn good." Rory grinned and they shared a giggle before Zach stuck his head out and called for Rory asking if they could bring the cake out now. As Rory scurried of to resume her duties as hostess, Lorelai turned to the large poster covered with old childhood photos of Lane and Zach. She zoomed in on a picture of Rory and Lane, their heads close together as they grinned madly for the camera. Suddenly, she felt the hairs prickle on her neck and knew he was there before he even spoke.

"Seems like yesterday she was taking up three tables at the diner with those giant books of hers," he said gruffly as he gestured to the photograph.

"Hmm," Lorelai hummed in agreement, unsure of her voice.

"Yep, she was something," he said affectionately. "Is something," he corrected himself quickly.

Lorelai rallied, trying to recover from her shock at seeing Luke Danes attending a baby shower with a wrapped gift under his arm, no less. She smiled and asked, "So, uh, what's this I hear about Kirk buying your boat?"

Luke shrugged and said, "Oh, well, I just realized I was never gonna take that thing out. I mean, all that time I spent trying to fix it up..." he trailed off. He shrugged again and said, "So I bought a new one."

Lorelai blinked in surprise and asked, "Wha, uh, When?"

Luke raised his eyebrows. "Today. Got the idea in my head a couple hours ago, went down to the shipyard in Bridgeport, and just did it," he said with a nod.

Lorelai gaped at him for a moment before she said, "You just bought a boat."

Luke nodded and said, "Yeah, yeah and it's even bigger and better than the old one. I mean it's got everything. It's got a little kitchen, a bathroom, even a place to sleep."

"Wow," she murmured.

"I'm just gonna keep it in the marina you know, and then, when April comes to visit in the summer, you know I'll take it out on little trips, you know go away for a few weeks," he said as he warmed to the subject.

"Luke, that sounds really nice," she said sincerely.

Luke smiled in agreement and said, "Right?"

Lorelai gave her head a little shake of disbelief and said, "God, I can't believe you bought a boat in a day. It used to take you a week to buy a t-shirt."

Luke sobered a little as he cleared his throat and said simply, "Yeah, well, things change." He looked at her, watching the confusion flit over her face and then asked in a gentler tone, "I'll see you inside?"

"Mm-hmm," Lorelai said with a nod as she watched him turn and walk into the studio, marveling at what she had just heard.

She followed him in a minute later, hovering by the door, trying to pretend that her eyes weren't drawn to his every move. She watched, amazed, as he made his way through the crowd, greeting people, talking to them, smiling, laughing. She frowned as she saw him bend down to hug Lane, and greet Rory, who beamed at him from her perch on the side of Lane's bed. He held up the gift wrapped box, and Rory quickly stood to take it from him and place it on the gift table. He turned and saw Gil tuning his guitar, and said a few words to Zach. As the boys started to sing, Luke faded back into the gathering crowd and Rory wheeled out the cake. Lorelai carefully stayed on the opposite side of the room, scared to be too near him, afraid to take her eyes off of him. She smiled at her friends, knowing that this is who she was, and where she wanted to be more than anywhere else on Earth.

She chatted with Taylor for a moment, but still caught the sight of Luke accepting a piece of cake Zach handed to him on a small plate. She turned in surprise and saw Luke smile and chuckle at something the younger man said as he clapped a hand on Zach's shoulder. And then she saw him pick up the plastic fork and actually take two small bites of the cake before he oh-so-casually walked past a trash can and dumped it. He stood with his hands buried in his pockets, surveying the crowd with a small, pleased smile on his lips. And then, just when she was sure Luke Danes had been body snatched, she saw it. Patty passed behind him and Luke jumped and turned to her with a forbidding scowl. She saw him say something cranky to her, and felt a flood of relief when Patty just laughed and waved him off, flushed with success in having gotten her chunk of that delicious ass for the evening. Lorelai watched as Luke quickly moved away from Patty and Babette, right toward her. She stood rooted to the spot, her eyes fixed on him, but not really seeing him until he was right next to her.

"This is why I hate coming to these things," he hissed.

"Because you're afraid of getting manhandled, or, I should say, woman handled," she asked with a bright smile.

"Because I end up black and blue," he grumbled, shoving his hand into his back pocket and surreptitiously rubbing his fingers over his aching butt.

It was on the tip of her tongue. She wanted to coo, 'Oh, poor sweet cheeked baby,' and rub it for him, just like she used to do. But she couldn't. He wasn't hers to soothe anymore. Instead, she plastered on her smile and said, "I think you'll survive. You've made it this far."

Luke nodded and said, "Yeah, well, I'm going to go," as he nodded to the door.

"It was nice of you to come," she said sincerely.

Luke shrugged and said, "Yeah, well, I've gotten to know Lane and Zach pretty well these last few months. They're good kids. They're going to be good parents," he said with a nod.

Lorelai's smile warmed as she said, "Yeah, they are."

Luke nodded again and smiled back at her. "Well, nice party," he said uncomfortably.

Lorelai smirked and said, "'Dear Diary, today I saw Luke Danes at a baby shower.' I can't wait to get home and write about it," she teased.

Luke smirked back at her and said, "Yeah, well, you should have gotten pictures. Evidence, you know." He glanced over his shoulder and said, "I should," as he pointed to the door.

"See you, Luke," she said with a nod.

"Yeah, see ya," he answered as he made his escape.

Lorelai turned slightly so that she could watch him from the corner of her eye and saw Rory stop him on his way out.

"Hey, thanks for coming, Luke," Rory said to him.

"Yeah, well, I couldn't not come," he said with a shrug.

"It was really nice of you," Rory said with a nod. "Um, can I talk to you for a second?" she asked in a low voice.

Luke glanced around uncomfortably and pulled his hands from his pockets as he said, "Uh, sure," and gestured to the door.

Rory led him just outside and said quickly, "I have your mom's pearls. I didn't know what to do. I saw them in my jewelry box and I thought that maybe you would like them back, you know, to give to April," she said hurriedly. "I brought them with me. Well, not here, but they're at the house," she rambled. "I can bring them to the diner tomorrow, if you want," she offered uncertainly.

Luke frowned and looked hurt as he asked, "Do you not want them anymore?"

"Oh, no," Rory said shaking her head emphatically. "It meant so much that you gave them to me," she said quickly as she blinked a little to fight back the moisture that threatened her eyes. "I just thought, you know, she's your kid," she said lamely.

Luke nodded as he swallowed hard and looked down at his boots. Without lifting his eyes he said gruffly, "You were really the first kid in my life."

"Oh Luke, I'm so sorry," Rory said as she wrung her hands, knowing that she had hurt him. "I just didn't know what to do," she told him.

"Keep them," he said as he looked up at her.

Rory released the breath she hadn't known she was holding and hugged him awkwardly. "I am sorry," she said in a muffled voice.

"Me too," he said softly as he ruffled her hair and set her away from him.

"So, me and you, we're okay," she asked as she swiped at a stray tear and looked up at him.

"We'll always be okay," he assured her. He glanced back at the people partying in Miss Patty's studio and said firmly, "We'll all be okay."

Rory nodded and stepped back. She gave him a shaky smile and said, "See you, Luke."

"Yeah, see ya, Rory," he answered before turning toward the diner and walking away.

XXXX

He closed the door to his apartment and let out a long sigh as he hung his head. He was right all of those months ago. He should stop pretending. He should stop fighting it. He still loved her. He still loved both of them, and he still wanted them both in his life. He walked over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of beer, twisting off the cap and tossing it in the general direction of the trash can. He sat down in his chair and picked at the label with his thumbnail as he realized that he actually felt better tonight than he had in a long time.

XXXX

When Rory reappeared, Lorelai was waiting just inside the door, trying to look like she wasn't hovering, and failing miserably. Rory looked over at her and smiled weakly as she approached. "So, did you guys have a nice chat?" she asked her mother.

Lorelai looked at her daughter and knew there was no sense in trying to deny anything. "It was pleasant, cordial," she answered with a shrug. "And you?" she asked pointedly.

"I offered him his mom's pearls back to give to April," Rory told her.

"Oh," Lorelai said softly. "What did he say?" she asked cautiously.

"He told me to keep them," Rory answered, unable to meet her mother's eyes. She glanced around the party and said, "Everyone seems to be having a good time."

"Yeah," Lorelai agreed quietly, wondering what had transpired between her daughter and her ex-fiancée.

"I should go check on the snacks," Rory said as she gestured to the food table and took off at a clip.

Lorelai watched her go as she thought to herself; keep them, yeah, that's my Luke.


	33. Gilmore Girl Talk

**Gilmore Girl Talk**

Rory ran back into the motel room with her hands full of snack cakes. "Oh, my god! Lane had her babies," she said as she dumped them onto the bed.

Lorelai gasped, "Oh!" and pressed her hand to her heart.

"Zach just sent me a photo. Here... See?" she said as she held the phone out to her mother and grandmother.

"Oh, cute!" Lorelai said happily.

Rory grinned, excited for her friend and said, "Aren't they cute?"

Emily peered at the phone and said, "I'm sure that little camera distorts their faces."

"What do you mean, Mom? They're cute," Lorelai chastised.

Rory pressed a button on her phone and said, "Here's another one," as she held it out to Lorelai.

"Oh, sweet," Lorelai cooed.

Emily frowned at the television listings and asked, "Why did they misspell 'Happyness?'"

"Well, we'll find out," Lorelai said as she pointed the remote at the TV. When Will Smith came on screen, Lorelai smirked and said, "There's your boyfriend, mom."

Rory tore her eyes from the phone and asked, "Who?"

Emily shook her head quickly and said, "He's not my boyfriend."

Lorelai turned to Rory and said, "Will Smith. Mom has a thing for him."

Rory peered around her mother to look at her grandmother and asked, "You like Will Smith?

"I think that he's very charming," Emily said dismissively.

Rory nodded as she absorbed the information and said, "That's all right." A few minutes later, her phone chirped again and she looked down at it. "Ooh, here are more pictures," she said as she picked it up and began to scroll through them. "Oh, look at Lane," she said softly as she showed Lorelai the picture of Lane propped up in bed with a tiny bundle in each arm.

"Oh, Lane," Lorelai said in a choked voice as she blinked back tears.

"I can't believe we missed it," Rory said sadly as she pressed buttons on the phone.

Lorelai snorted and said, "Like you would have been any good to her."

"Hey! She's my best friend," Rory protested. "Aw, look at the proud daddy," she said as she handed the phone over to Lorelai.

"Man, Zach, you've got your hands full now, my friend," Lorelai said with a fond smile.

Emily peered over her shoulder and said softly, "So much for two people who are so young."

"Yeah, they are young," Lorelai agreed softly. "But, they're good, Mom. Lane and Zach are two kids with their feet on the ground," she said with a nod. "Two kids with two kids of their own," she murmured. When the phone chirped again, Lorelai jumped and handed it back to Rory as she said, "I think I broke it!"

Rory shook her head and said, "Nope, more pictures. Oh!" she gasped as she squinted at the screen.

"What?" Lorelai asked as she tried to look over Rory's shoulder.

"Luke," she whispered.

"What? Luke? What about Luke? What happened to Luke?" Lorelai asked quickly.

"It's Luke," Rory said as she handed the phone to her mother. "He must have taken them to the hospital or something," Rory said as Lorelai stared intently at the phone.

"Why would Luke take Lane to the hospital when she's in labor?" Emily asked, craning her neck to get a look at the photo.

Lorelai pressed her fingertips to her lips as she mumbled, "They work for him. Lane and Zach work for him."

Rory nodded and said, "Lane told me that they were thinking of asking Luke to be the babies' godfather."

"Oh, lucky boys," Lorelai said softly as she took a deep breath and handed the phone back to Rory.

Emily watched as Lorelai blinked rapidly and kicked her shoes off. She ducked her head as she scooted back to the headboard and said, "Now, let's get comfortable, shall we ladies?"

"I should go," Emily said as she rose.

"No, Grandma, stay," Rory protested. "You don't want to go back to that hotel all alone. You stay here, I'll crawl in with Mom," she said with an encouraging nod.

"Yeah, come on Mom, it's a slumber party," Lorelai cajoled.

"But, I already took my bags there," Emily said worriedly.

"So, we can lend you whatever you need," Rory said with a shrug.

"If you leave now, you'll miss your boyfriend," Lorelai teased.

"And, we'll eat your Banana Twins," Rory said threateningly as she waved a packaged snack cake at her grandmother.

Emily smirked as she said, "You're more than welcome to them." She looked at the two of them as they settled back against the headboard and gave a small nod as she took off her coat and tossed it over the end of the bed. She turned back to the second bed and pulled back the covers before she sat down, arranged the pillows to her liking and kicked off her shoes.

XXXX

The lights from the parking lot shone through the edges of the drapes as Lorelai rolled over, yet again, still chasing sleep. With a soft sigh, she stared up at the ceiling, trying to make her mind stop, but knowing it wouldn't until it was satisfied. She quietly slipped from the bed and padded to the other side, where she lifted Rory's cell phone form the nightstand as silently as she could. She used the strips of light that had been tormenting her to find her way to the bathroom and closed the door softly before she flipped on the light. She winced as the noisy vent fan kicked to life and quickly started pressing buttons on the phone, trying to find it. She stopped and sank down onto the closed lid of the toilet as he stared at it. The photo of the big man in the plaid shirt and backwards baseball cap smiling softly down at the tiny bundle swaddled in a blue blanket. Her heart hammered as she held the phone close to her face, trying to memorize every detail. The curve of his lips, she knew so well. That was his 'I'm happy, but I don't know what to say or do' smile. She marveled at the size of his hand as he covered the tiny baby with it protectively, the very tip of his index finger pulling the blanket down for a better look. The little baby blue hat was nestled into the crook of his arm, which was, as she well knew, the safest place in the world. She didn't notice the tears seeping from her eyes until she touched the screen with her fingernail, and choked on a sob so huge it felt like it would strangle her.

She placed the phone carefully on the vanity, and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror before the sob escaped and she buried her face in her hands. She tried in vain to quiet herself, hoping that the whir of the vent fan would drown out the noise as she finally gave in and cried for all that they had lost. She pulled a long stream of toilet paper from the roll, rather than leaning forward to reach for a Kleenex, and tried to mop her face. She looked over at the phone on the counter and dared herself to take another look. She picked it up again and stared at the photo so intensely that she didn't hear the door open a crack. She sat leaning forward, her elbows resting on her knees as she cradled the phone in her hands. "It should have been us," she murmured.

"Have you spoken to him?" Emily asked softly.

Lorelai's head jerked up as she saw her mother standing in the doorway. "What?" she whispered.

"Have you spoken to Luke," Emily repeated in a hushed voice. "Does he know?" she asked.

"Know what? That Chris and I are getting divorced?" Lorelai asked blankly.

Emily shook her head slowly and said, "Know that you're still in love with him."

Lorelai stared at Emily with her mouth agape for a moment and then swallowed hard. She shook her head and said in a thick voice, "It doesn't matter, he doesn't love me."

Emily stepped into the bathroom and closed the door quietly behind her. She looked down at her daughter's red splotchy face and said, "Lorelai, the only time I have ever seen a man so obviously in love with a woman was on my own wedding day. Of course he loves you, he always has."

Lorelai shook her head and gave her mother a tight smile of thanks as she tried to fight back another sob. She took a deep breath to calm herself and whispered, "He may have loved me then, but he doesn't now."

"You don't just stop loving someone like that, Lorelai," Emily said with a touch of impatience. "You of all people should know that," she said, softening her tone a bit.

Lorelai licked her dry lips and said in a raspy voice, "Mom, we said horrible things to each other. Did terrible things."

Emily studied her daughter closely as she processed what Lorelai had just said. "I don't know what to say to you," she murmured. She sighed and placed her hand on Lorelai's shoulder as she said, "There's a reason they become clichés, you know."

"What's that?" Lorelai asked as she looked up, completely confused.

"You always hurt the ones you love," Emily said gently. "It's true because they're the closest and easiest targets, and we know just what to do or say to wound them to the heart."

Lorelai nodded slightly and said, "Maybe so."

Emily gave her a gentle squeeze and said, "Here's another one for you. Time heals all wounds."

Lorelai blinked at her mother, and realized that they weren't just talking about her and Luke. "That is true, isn't it?" she asked in a soft voice.

Emily nodded and said, "I think so. Sometimes it just takes a little distance."

"To be able to see the forest through the trees?" Lorelai asked with a small chuckle.

"Exactly," Emily said as she lowered her hand. She took a deep breath and said, "Now, you stared at his picture, and had your cry. Wash your face and let's go to bed, shall we?" she asked.

Lorelai did as she was told under her mother's watchful eye, and then the two of them crept back into the room as silently as possible. As Lorelai settled against her pillow once again, she heard her mother whisper, "He'll come around. They always do."

Rory rolled over and looked at Lorelai with sleepy eyes as she said, "Even if it's not everything, you two can at least be friends again. You were always good friends." She smiled shakily and asked, "Some Luke is better than no Luke, right?"

Lorelai blinked owlishly and asked, "How long have you been awake?"

"Almost as long as you have. Your sneaking out of bed skills have sadly deteriorated. Busted by both your mother and your daughter," she said with a sad shake of her head.

"I'm sorry I woke you," Lorelai whispered to them.

"Go to sleep, Lorelai, things will seem better in the morning," Emily assured her.

"I'd like my phone back, please," Rory said as she held out her hand. When Lorelai handed it to her, Rory smiled and placed it back on the nightstand. She rolled back over, held her arms open, and said, "Come here, my little thief," as she hugged her mother tightly until they drifted off to sleep.


	34. Just Saying Hay

TCL Ch 34

**Just Saying Hay**

Lorelai awoke feeling a little better than she had in a long, long time. She stumbled off to the bathroom to shower and get ready for the day with Logan's words echoing in her head. It was so simple, 'I made a mistake. I messed up. I really messed up.' She shampooed her hair, trying to figure out why his words had struck home with her. It was the most eloquent or urgent apology she had ever heard. She paused as she realized it wasn't even an apology. He simply took responsibility for his actions. Lorelai washed quickly, wondering if she was more impressed by the statement or the fact that Logan Huntzberger was actually man enough to admit that he had screwed up and try to move on.

She stepped form the shower and wrapped a towel around herself and another around her hair as she started going through her morning routine on auto-pilot. She reached for a Q-tip and realized that the little jar was empty. She bent down to look under the sink for the box and the dream with the cute nightgown flashed through her memory. 'We're out of Q-Tips,' she told him. To which, her dream Luke had answered, 'I'll alert the media.' Lorelai set the box on the vanity, and started to fill the little jar she kept them in. "It is better with the accent," she mumbled. She watched as her own hand slowed and then stilled. She looked up into the mirror and realized why Logan's admission had struck such a chord with her.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror and said, "It was wrong. It was so wrong. No matter what, I shouldn't have ended it like that," she told herself sternly. She shook her head slightly and repeated, "Not like that. It was wrong." She hung her head and felt her cheeks burn with shame. She squeezed her eyes shut tight as she swallowed hard. "I was wrong," she whispered. She stood still for a few minutes, simply focusing on breathing in and out. When she looked up again, she drew a deep breath and blew it out loudly. "Suck it up, Gilmore," she muttered as she picked up a tube of concealer and went to work, carefully preparing herself to face another day.

XXXX

She hadn't planned to go through the maze herself, but when she got there, she ran into Sookie, Jackson and the kids who were really excited by it. After chatting with them, she wandered into the maze, lost in thought, and feeling oddly secure within the towering walls of hay. She watched kids dashing past her as they scrambled from dead end to dead end, laughing the way only the very young do when they are thwarted. She saw a small knot of girls about April's age giggling and pointing at two boys who were just ahead of them. She smiled as she thought of the warm way April had greeted her at the town meeting. As they had sat listening to Taylor go on and on about this crazy maze, Lorelai had stared at the backs of their heads, trying to figure out how much April actually knew about her Dad's relationship with her. She knew that April knew that they were engaged. Obviously, she would know that they had broken up, and just as obvious was the fact that April knew none of the ugly details. Good, she thought as she turned into what was yet another blind alley, no kid needs to know that stuff.

She stopped and drew in a deep breath as she remembered her mother's words in that motel bathroom. She had hit Luke exactly where she knew it would hurt the most. Intentional or not, it didn't matter, it was a direct hit. And while she didn't excuse him for the way he had treated her that last few months, he had not done anything like that to her, made the grand gesture, dealt that fatal blow. She looked up at the blue sky above and thought to herself that it would have almost been better if he had. Yes, he had hurt her. Badly. Repeatedly. He had broken her. But, she also realized now that she was partially to blame for that, because she had let him.

With a quick shake of her head, Lorelai turned and began to wander through the maze once again. As she walked, her step grew a little lighter, knowing that she was getting closer. Not just to the end of the hay bale maze, but to the end of her personal maze. She was able to admit the hard truths, and look at what had happened clearly and unflinchingly. It may not be pretty, but as Luke himself would say, it is what it is. There was no sense in hiding from it any longer. There was nothing to be gained from denying that it had happened. It did, and she couldn't take it back now, no matter how badly she may want to. She straightened her shoulders, and lifted her chin, ready to move on. She turned a corner, looking up at the bales of hay with wonder as she proceeded to walk right into someone. Lorelai looked down to see that it was not just anyone, but the man himself. "Oh, God! Hey," she stammered.

"Hey," he said in an embarrassed tone.

Lorelai giggled slightly and said, "Hey, hay," as she gestured to the walls, causing Luke to chuckle self consciously.

Lorelai saw the bag in his hand and said, "Oh, you got snacks."

Luke shrugged and said, "Yeah, well, Zach forgot these. The hay's kind of gone to his head. Anyway he gave me these directions here," he started to say as he held out a piece of paper. Lorelai gasped when she saw the huge silver and turquoise bracelet on his wrist, but he went on, "So I just go right, left…" He looked up at her shocked expression and asked, "What?"

"What is that?" she asked incredulously, pointing to the bracelet.

Luke pulled his sleeve back slightly and said, "Oh! April gave it to me."

"You have a bracelet on your wrist," she said, completely flummoxed.

Luke shrugged and said, "She's into jewelry. It's just a phase. What could I do?" he asked helplessly.

"Uh, wow!" Lorelai said shaking her head.

Luke laughed and said, "It's just one of these crazy phases. I was just getting used to the fact I had a daughter. Now all of a sudden, I have a teenager. It's wild. Time just goes by," he said gesturing wildly.

"Luke," Lorelai interrupted him.

"Yeah," he answered, glad to have an excuse to stop rambling.

Lorelai took a deep breath and said simply, "I'm sorry."

Luke saw the pain in her eyes and immediately knew what she was apologizing for. "Yeah, I'm, uh, I'm sorry, too," he said gruffly.

Lorelai shook her head and said, "No, no, let me go first," afraid she wouldn't be able to get it all out.

Luke nodded slightly and said, "Okay."

"I messed up," she said softly. She swallowed hard and said, "That night I went to Christopher. I'm sorry," she added sincerely.

Luke glanced down at his feet and said only, "Yeah."

Lorelai felt the need to explain where this apology was coming from and said quickly, "I mean I never admitted it to you that it was wrong what I did, and it was, and I'm really sorry."

Luke nodded as he accepted her apology and said, "Okay. Thanks," in a soft voice.

Lorelai sighed with relief and said almost to herself, "I don't know why I didn't say this before."

"Ah, you know," Luke said with an uncomfortable shrug. "I'm sorry, too, 'cause, I don't know, it's just," he paused, searching for the right words. "Now that I've had April, it's, I've learned a lot, and I was crazy to think that I had to fix everything in my relationship with April before I could really be with you," he said quickly, trying to get it all out. "And that's just not how you fix things. I mean things just don't stand still. They're always changing," he said with a wry smile.

Lorelai nodded her understanding and said, "Yeah."

"I guess I was, uh, compartmentalizing? If that's what you call it. I mean I should have opened my compartments. I should have gotten your help," he said sincerely.

"I wanted to help," Lorelai said with a small wince.

"I know," he admitted, "and I'm sorry." He took a deep breath and said, "And I'm sorry, also, because I think I kind of used April to push you away."

Lorelai eyed him carefully as she asked, "You did, huh?"

"Yeah, I think so. I was afraid, and..." he trailed off. "I'm so sorry," he told her.

Lorelai smiled at him and said, "It's really okay."

Luke smiled back and said, "I'm glad."

"Me too," she said with a definite nod.

Luke glanced down at the bag in his hand and said, "Well, I got some fries that are getting cold."

Lorelai nodded quickly and said, "Oh, yeah, well, I got to find my way out of here."

Luke smiled as he turned to go on. He looked back and said, "By the way, you're really close. Just go left, two rights, and you're out," he told her.

Lorelai smiled with gratitude and said, "Thanks," as she turned to go.

XXXX

Luke turned two more corners before he stopped and took a deep steadying breath. He replayed their conversation in his head, comparing it to the months and months of scenarios he had come up with in his head. There were no tears, Lorelai didn't throw herself at his feet, begging for his forgiveness, and pledging her eternal love as he had envisioned dozens of times. There were no angry recriminations, no hurtful words flung in defense against the pain, as he had dreamed a hundred times. There was no passionate embrace and murmured words of devotion, as he had hoped deep down in that place he kept locked away now.

It was only a simple, heartfelt apology, and an acknowledgement of the pain they had caused one another. Somehow, this made him feel better than any of those other scenarios did. They hadn't sugar coated it. They had denied nothing. He looked down at the bag holding the now cold fries and felt that little flicker of hope catch in his chest and burn a little brighter. Maybe someday, he allowed himself to think. Maybe someday we can get back to normal. Maybe someday, she'll come into my diner and ask for coffee. Maybe someday, I'll pour it for her and tell her it's gonna kill her. Maybe someday, she'll smile like she used to, not that easy, polite smile that never reaches her eyes. Maybe. Someday. Hopefully.


	35. A Bicycle Made for Two

**A Bicycle Made for Two**

Lorelai walked out onto the Dragonfly's porch, pulled out her phone and dialed while glancing nervously over her shoulder. "Hey. It's Lorelai. It's me. Hi," she said with a chuckle. "Are you busy?" she asked. "Um, no, no, no. I just had a, uh, I had a quick question," she blurted. "It's kind of a favor, really. Um, my car is totally shot, and I need to buy a new car, and I just don't know anything about it, and I thought maybe sometime," she rambled quickly as she tucked her hair nervously behind her ear. "And if you don't have time, it's really no big deal, but ma… Today?" she asked, surprised at how quickly he agreed. "Oh, yeah. I mean, it doesn't have to, sure. Yeah, we'll go look," she said in a stunned voice. "Um, I don't know, like 1:30? Can you pick me up at the inn? Hey, thanks. Bye," she said softly as she closed the phone and blinked in surprise.

Luke hung up the phone and stared at it as if he had never laid eyes on it before. He turned back to the empty diner, cursing the mid-morning lull for giving him too much time to think between now and then. She needs my help. She wants my help. She asked for my help, he thought with a pleased smile as he began to wipe down the perfectly clean counter.

XXXX

He had picked her up at the Dragonfly, surprised to find her ready and waiting on the front porch. She was down the steps before he had even pulled to a stop, and reached for the door as soon as he did. He smiled and said, "I guess you're ready."

"What? Oh, yeah, well, I didn't want to waste your time," she said as she climbed up into the truck and pulled the door closed behind her. She turned to him and said, "I really appreciate this. You know how hopeless I am about cars and stuff."

"No problem at all," he assured her. "Anyplace in particular you wanted to look?" he asked.

Lorelai shook her head and said, "I have no idea what I want."

"Okay, well, I know a couple of places," he said as he rubbed his chin nervously.

"Good then, let's go look," she said with a nod.

They were quiet as Luke pulled away from the inn, and headed out of town. After a couple of minutes he glanced over and said, "I was gonna put the radio on, but it's been pretty static-y lately."

Lorelai shrugged and said, "Oh, I'm fine. I don't need music."

"Yeah?" Luke asked dubiously. "Okay," he said with a shrug.

"Thanks again for agreeing to come," she said sincerely.

"No problem," Luke said again.

"And again, I mean, it didn't have to be, you know, today," she babbled.

"Oh, no, you know, the diner was slow, and you can't keep riding that bike around," he said with a smirk.

"Why does everyone act like I'm a really bad biker?" Lorelai whined.

"No, hey, I didn't mean it that way," Luke said quickly.

Lorelai shook her head and said, "I'm just kidding."

"Oh," he said blankly.

"It was a joke," Lorelai said lamely.

"Okay," he answered uncomfortably.

Lorelai cast her mind about for something to say and finally came up with, "So, um, April left, right? "

Luke nodded and kept his eyes glued to the road as he said, "Yeah, but she'll be back in June."

Lorelai smiled and asked, "Oh, for the big boat trip?"

"Right, right," Luke confirmed.

Lorelai smiled at him and said, "That's gonna be fun."

"Yeah," he agreed.

"Are you excited?" she prodded.

Luke chuckled and said, "Yeah."

"Oh, good," Lorelai said as she looked out the window. After a moment of awkward silence, Lorelai turned back to him and said, "You know, I don't mind a little static."

"I was gonna say, it actually doesn't work that bad," Luke said quickly as he tried to tune in a station.

Some sappy eighties power ballad came on, which seemed to satisfy her. He watched out of the corner of his eye as she nodded along to the song and stared at the passing scenery. He wasn't sure why, but he really hadn't expected it to be this awkward. He thought it might be at first, but he figured that they'd start talking, or she'd start teasing him or something and things would go back to the way they used to be. Especially after that painful start in the diner that morning, with everyone looking at them the way Lorelai looked at Krispy Kreme's rolling off of the conveyer, he thought with a sigh. He thought that once it was just the two of them, it would be easier. That's why he jumped when she asked. Boy was he wrong. At that moment, he would have killed to have Patty or Babette squeezed in between them, he thought with a mental shake of his head. And that was so wrong, on so many levels, he thought sadly.

XXXX

She knew she was killing him. It was killing her too. Every moment was pure torture. She wasn't kidding about the Jack Bauer thing. He was both the Luke she knew, and a whole new Luke, all at the same time. He was so calm, so polite, so patient, very un-Luke like. He opened doors for her and then read off the features of each car, debating whether they were worth the money or not, expounding on various safety options, deriding some of the extras that everyone thought were so important, but she could tell his feigned patience was beginning to wear thin.

Luke was completely baffled. He had thought this outing would be a no-brainer. He'd drive her to a lot, Lorelai would fall foolishly in love with something, bright, sporty, shiny and completely impractical, she'd sign on the dotted line, and he'd follow her back to Stars Hollow. But every car she looked at had something that didn't 'feel' right about it. For a person with no idea what she wanted, she had some pretty set pre-conceived notions about what various car styles said about the vehicle's owner. He caught himself glancing over at his old truck once and wondered what it said about him. He chuckled inwardly, knowing damn well what it said, but, then realized that the description seemed to suit Lorelai more now, than it did him. When did she become so cautious? Who was this indecisive woman? Why is she acting so resistant to change?

And then he spotted it, sitting on the far corner of the lot. He led her over to a brand new Jeep Wrangler. It was even the same color as her old one. He proudly opened the door for her and then waited, leaning against the side of the car staring at her as she sat and stared at the interior with a frown. "Well?" he asked, trying to hang onto the last shreds of his patience.

"Well," Lorelai said dully.

"You've been talking about your Jeep all day," he pointed out.

"I know," she said with a nod.

"Comparing other cars to it," he reminded her.

"I know," she said as she stared down at the upholstery.

"Here it is," he said gesturing to it.

Lorelai looked up at him with a pained expression and said, "I'm sorry."

Luke shook his head and said, "But I don't understand. It's the same car."

"It's not the same car," she insisted.

"What do you mean?" he demanded.

"What do you mean?" she shot back. "It's different."

"It's not different. It's just a newer model," he said impatiently.

"No, it's different. The steering wheel, the seats are different, the cup holder," she pointed out.

Luke shrugged and said, "Okay there have been improvements."

"They made some changes," she retorted.

"Improvements," he growled.

"Says who?" she asked snidely.

"What exactly is bugging you?" he asked.

Lorelai got agitated and said, "It's not bugging me per se. It's just, it's different. I don't get that feeling."

Luke dropped his arm in frustration and muttered, "Oh, for god's sake."

"What?" she demanded.

"You're being ridiculous," he hissed.

"Why?" she asked incredulously.

"You don't buy a car based on a feeling," he told her in an exasperated tone.

Lorelai shook her head and said, "No, you don't buy a car based on a feeling," as she opened the door and climbed out of the Jeep.

Luke wagged his head, gestured to his chest and said, "It's not just me. It's the whole rest of the population."

Lorelai stopped and looked at him archly as she asked, "Really? You took a poll, and you know how everyone else buys their car?"

"I don't have to. I already know what they're gonna say," he told her.

"Well, I am the person buying the car, and so the only opinion that matters is mine," she said primly as she began to walk away from him.

Luke snapped. "Oh, that is so like you. I mean this is bathroom tiles all over again," he said, his voice quivering with barely constrained frustration.

Lorelai said quickly, "I was right about the tile."

"No, you weren't," he argued.

"The tile was too big for the bathroom," she said stubbornly.

"Tiles are not too big for a bathroom. You buy the amount of tiles based on their size that fit into the room you are tiling!" he said gesturing wildly as he spoke.

Lorelai shook her head and said sadly, "So narrow-minded."

"That's not narrow-minded. Okay? It's sane," he said as he dusted his hands agitatedly. "And, here's a news flash for you, okay? Sports cars don't think they're better than other cars. Okay? Hatchbacks don't have SUV inferiority complexes," he ranted clenching his fists at his sides.

"Now who's ridiculous?" she asked tauntingly, relishing the rant.

"And sedans aren't afraid to get dirty!" he added.

Lorelai cocked her head and said, "You know what I think it is? That you're hungry."

Luke looked at her as if she had sprouted a second head and said, "What? No!"

Lorelai gave him a knowing nod and said, "Sometimes you get like this when you're hungry," knowing it would rile him even more.

"I'm not," he said stubbornly.

Lorelai began rooting around in her cavernous purse as she said enticingly, "I think I have some cookies in here, some Oreos."

"I'm not and besides I wouldn't eat anything that came out of that bag," he said derisively as she pulled out a baggie of cookies.

Lorelai shook them at him and said defensively, "They're in a wrapper."

"I can't believe you still haven't cleaned that thing out," he said as he gestured to her purse.

"Please," Lorelai scoffed.

"How much time do you lose a day looking through that thing? Five, ten minutes?" he ranted at her. "Multiply that by a year. I bet you'd gain a month if you just took an hour and cleaned it out, but no… what?" he asked stopping as he saw her looking at him with a small, pleased smile.

"Nothing," she said quickly.

Luke pointed at her accusingly and said, "You're smiling."

"What? No. You've got low blood sugar," she said dismissively.

Frustrated beyond belief, Luke started again, "I do not have," but caught himself. He stopped and asked, "Okay, are you gonna buy a car or not?"

Lorelai pretended to think for a moment and then said, "Not," in a sassy tone.

"Okay can we get out of here, then?" he asked impatiently.

"Gladly," she replied.

As he led her over to the truck he said, "And we're not listening to any of that crap on the radio."

Lorelai gaped at him and said, "It's not crap!"

Luke nodded and said, "Yeah, it's crap."

"It's Air Supply," she corrected. She looked at him and said, "You know what you need a milkshake."

"We're not stopping for a milkshake," he warned tersely.

Lorelai stopped and held out her hand as she said, "Okay let's rock, paper, scissors."

Luke shook his head emphatically, and said, "No, no, no."

Lorelai blinked as she asked innocently, "So you forfeit?"

"No, I…" he started to protest as he opened the door to the truck for her.

"Well, that's how it goes. If you don't play the game, then you forfeit," she insisted.

"Let's get you in the car," Luke said as he tried to usher her into the seat. "Okay," he said placatingly.

"That means a giant milkshake for you, my friend," she told him.

"We're not stopping," he told her as he closed the door. "We're not stopping," he repeated as she kept talking about the milkshake.

"Chocolate," she called as he crossed in front of the truck. "That's gonna set you up," she said with a nod.

"We're not stopping. Not gonna happen," he said in a darkly forbidding tone as he threw himself into the seat and jammed the key into the ignition.

Luke pulled out of the lot, squealing the tires with impatience, and suddenly, Lorelai felt it bubbling up before she could stop it. She looked over at him and burst out laughing, leaning her head back against the seat as she let it out, clutching her hand to her stomach. Luke glanced over as if he were checking to see if she had finally cracked. When he looked at her, it took his breath away. There she was, that girl. The one he fell for so long ago. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel, as he let the sound of her laughter wash over him. "I'm sorry," she gasped as she wiped her eyes. "It was just so ridiculous, me and you, so polite, that fight," she said helplessly.

Luke felt his lips beginning to curve as her words sank in. He looked over at her and realized that he hadn't heard her laugh like that in forever. And like a knife twisting in his gut, he realized that forever meant a long time before they had even broken up. As her laughter faded into the merest giggle, he glanced over again, and met her dancing eyes. With a slight inclination of his head, he swung the truck into the next drive through and pulled up to the speaker. He turned in his seat and asked, "Chocolate?"

"Please," she said with a happy smile.

When they asked for his order, he called out, "Yeah, I need one large chocolate shake and a small vanilla shake." He looked back at her and shrugged slightly. After all, it was the least he could do, and hopefully, that smile might stick around a little longer.

After picking up their drinks at the window, Luke pointed the truck toward Stars Hollow, resting his small shake between his legs as he drove. He stole sidelong glances at Lorelai as she sipped, never removing the straw from her mouth. She leaned forward and looked at him questioningly before she touched the radio. When he nodded, she turned it on, but started to switch over to the rock station that was more to his liking. When she found it, they were playing an old Journey song. Lorelai looked up at him with a grin as he grunted, "God, no," and switched to another station.

"Uh, NPR?" she said with a laugh. "I don't think so, my friend," she said as she chewed on her straw and began to search again. She finally found an oldies station that was playing some Motown and looked at him questioningly. When he nodded, she settled back against the seat with a smile of contentment.

They drove home in silence, letting the music fill the cab, and the milkshakes soothe their nerves. As they entered Stars Hollow, Luke asked, "Inn or home?"

"Inn, please," she answered.

When he pulled up in front of the inn, he put the truck in park and turned toward her as he said, "We can try another lot tomorrow." Lorelai nodded, the smile slipping from her face. "That is, if you want to," he said as the awkwardness enveloped the truck again.

Lorelai gave him a tight smile and said, "That would be very nice of you. I'll think about what I want tonight. I know I'm just being silly," she said quietly.

"I know you liked your car," he said sympathetically.

Lorelai pressed her lips together as she nodded and reached to open the door. "I just want things to be normal again," she said as she slipped from the truck. She closed the door and said through the open window, "Thanks, Luke. I appreciate you putting up with me."

"I'll call you tomorrow, we'll go look some more," he told her.

Lorelai nodded and said only, "Thanks," as she backed away from the truck and held up her now empty shake cup in salute.

Luke lifted his from the seat and held it out to her. "Here, you want the rest?" he asked.

Lorelai smiled as she shook her head and said, "Nah, you drink it. It's good for you."

Luke shook his head and smiled as he turned the wheel and pulled away.

XXXX

Lorelai had heard the knock on the door, but was busy rescuing the tater tot course from the oven, so Jackson answered it. She dumped the tots onto a plate, and filled a small bowl with ketchup for dipping. She carried the plate into the living room to place it on the coffee table and was surprised when she glanced over and saw that it was Luke that Jackson was chatting with, and not Joe. She smoothed her hand over her ponytail nervously and then went to join Jackson in the doorway.

"Hi," she said with a smile.

"Hi," Luke answered.

Jackson glanced between the two of them and said, "Oh, well, good to see you, buddy," as he tried to duck out of the way with his plate of chicken nuggets.

"Yeah, you too," Luke called after him, determined not to ask why Jackson was here, and why he was in his pajamas, and why his pajamas had pictures of him in wrestling gear all over them.

"What's going on?" she asked.

Luke took a deep breath and said, "Okay, here's the deal. I borrowed Kirk's computer, and Zach got me on this Craigslist thing, and I found a 1999 jeep wrangler for sale. The guy actually doesn't live too far from here, so I went to see it. It looks like it's in pretty good shape. So I ran the VIN number. It's got a clean history, no accidents, no failed emissions," he told her. "And the guy said he kept it up pretty good, and there's nothing really wrong with it. So I took it for a test drive, and it drove fine," he said with a shrug. "So if you want to keep your old car, for whatever crazy feeling it gives you, okay? Then buy this guy's car, send it to Gypsy, she'll take the engine out, put it in the old car, which makes absolutely no sense because you'd basically be paying the same amount of money to fix your old car as you would be paying to get into a new one," he finished breathlessly.

The smile blossomed on Lorelai's lips as she said, "But I'd still have my car."

Luke nodded and said, "Yeah, Gypsy said it'll take about two weeks to finish." He dug a scrap of paper from his pocket and said, "Here's the number for the guy, Larry. That's his name." He looked at her pointedly as he said, "I already negotiated him down fifteen hundred bucks. Tell him you're Lorelai, Luke's friend. He'll know," he said with another shrug.

Lorelai smiled at him and said, "Thanks, I will."

Luke sighed and adjusted his cap as he said, "It's still a completely ridiculous idea."

"I know," she said, but clearly she didn't care.

"Alright," Luke said as he turned to leave. He called back over his shoulder, "And, you know, in the meantime, if you're still riding that bike around, come by the diner. I'll put some air in your tires."

Lorelai leaned out of the door and called back, "I don't need air in my tires."

Luke turned as he opened the door to his truck and yelled, "You need air, and you need a light and a bell so people know you're coming."

"What if I don't want people to know I'm coming?" she yelled back with a grin.

"I'm putting on a bell!" he shouted to her.

"No, you're not!" she shouted back happily.

Luke shook his head and yelled, "What do you have against bells?"

"I don't like 'em," she called back stubbornly.

Luke climbed into his truck and slammed the door. He rolled his eyes as he called out of the open window, "Well, you don't have to like them. They're a safety feature."

"I want a horn!" Lorelai demanded.

"Fine you want a horn, I'll get you a horn. Are you happy?" he asked waving his arm out the window in exasperation.

Lorelai pressed her lips together and nodded, her eyes sparkling with happiness. "Jeez," he muttered, looking up at her. He felt his heart flip flop in his chest as he saw her smile so he quickly started the truck and backed down the driveway, taking one last look at her standing there in the doorway. He put the truck in gear and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he headed back to the diner. He stared straight ahead as he murmured to himself, "Playing with fire, Danes."

Lorelai closed the door and pressed her hand to it, unable to wipe the smile from her face. That was Luke. The real Luke. Her Luke. Oh God, it felt good to have him back, she thought as she ran her hand over the smooth wood of the door. She'd take it, in any way she should get it. "It's gonna be okay," she whispered to herself as she turned and went to join Jackson on the couch, fingering the slip of paper in her pocket. Lorelai, Luke's friend.


	36. The Truth Comes Out

**The Truth Comes Out**

The truth of the matter was that he didn't want to go upstairs and sit all alone in his apartment. The truth of the matter was that he was sad. And confused. He was sad because April's opportunity meant that he'd have less time with her than he had hoped. The plans that he had made had to be scrapped. He had been looking forward to having the best lobster he'd ever had, even though he'd only had it once before. Even though he'd be having it with the other woman in his life. The confusion came in with the wave of relief that he felt about not leaving Stars Hollow. He wanted that time with his daughter, but he also wanted to see what was going to happen with this tenuous relationship he felt that he and Lorelai were building. He watched as Lane and Zach walked slowly toward the bar and sighed as he finished cleaning up for the night. He really didn't want to go upstairs. He knew what he'd see. The single bed, neatly made with the colorful comforter purchased at Target and the double bed that had been sleeping single for too long. He looked across the square at K.C.'s, knowing that she would be there too. Karaoke night, he thought, shaking his head, knowing that he was already halfway there. Giving in, he turned out the lights and locked the diner door behind him.

As he walked through the door, the first thing he saw was Lorelai, standing on stage belting out a ballad with all she had. When their eyes met, he smiled and gave her a small nod as he crossed to the bar. She stumbled over the words a little as he ordered a beer, and then he picked up the mug and turned to watch the show. He settled back against the bar and found her eyes fixed on him as she sang the love song. He smiled affectionately, marveling at her ability to do this stuff. Stand up there in front of the whole town and sing for all to hear. No way, he could never do it. As she continued, he listened to the words she sang, and realized she was actually singing to him. He felt his heart begin to hammer in his chest as she sang of wanting him to have joy and happiness in his life. A lump lodged firmly in his throat as she sang of wishing him love. As she launched into the chorus again, he looked down, the words roaring in his ears as he tried to force the lump down, and blink back the sudden rush of moisture he felt threatening. He looked up, unable to tear his eyes from hers as she sang out. She finished softly, gave a small apologetic shrug that was so typically Lorelai, and then dashed from the stage.

Luke felt his knees weaken slightly as he braced himself against the bar, and tired not to make eye contact with the townies as they craned their necks to look at him. He turned away, facing the bar as he took a large gulp of his beer, hoping to steady his nerves. He had to go, to get out of there, but if he bolted now, it would be even worse. He took a surreptitious glance around to see who all was in attendance, and knew that escape was impossible. A moment later, he felt someone nudge his arm and heard Zach saying excitedly, "Hey! You made it. That's so cool! We have a table right over here," he said as he tugged on Luke's arm.

"Oh, no," Luke started to protest as Zach started to pull him over to the table where Rory and Lane sat, anxiously awaiting Lorelai's return. But Zach would not be deterred, and Luke didn't want to make a scene. He walked over to the table with the younger man and smiled uneasily as he said, "Hey, Rory. Hey, Lane."

"Oh, I'm so glad you came out," Lane said to Luke sincerely, shooting Rory a nervous look.

"Hi, Luke," Rory said self consciously.

"Sit, sit," Zach insisted as he practically shoved Luke into the chair across from Rory.

Luke looked up from his beer with a an awkward smile and said gruffly, "Seems weird, seeing you two in a bar."

Rory smiled and said, "Yeah, I bet."

Luke chuckled nervously and said, "I guess, when I see you together, I still see you guys as little, ya know?"

"Yeah, that has to be weird," Lane said with a nod.

"Hey, Babe? I'm gonna go talk to Morey for a minute," Zach said to Lane as Gypsy took the stage. "Be right back," he said as he hurried away.

"I should, I need," Rory stammered. "I'm gonna go check on Mom," she said quietly as she got up and headed toward the ladies' room located near the stage.

Once Rory left, Luke looked down at the empty glasses on the table and said, "So, I guess Lorelai had a little Dutch courage, huh?"

"Yeah," Lane said with a solemn nod.

"I could never do that," he said, gesturing to the stage. "No matter how much booze you fed me," he said with a laugh.

"Yeah well, Lorelai and tequila," Lane said with a shrug.

"Lethal," Luke said with a sage nod as he took a sip of beer.

"Like at our wedding," Lane said as she looked at him steadily.

"Wedding?" Luke asked blankly.

"Yeah. When Zach and I got married, she had a little too much that night," Lane said as she watched him carefully.

"Oh, yeah. I heard about that. 'Endless Love,' wasn't it?" he said with a laugh.

Lane stared at him for a moment and then said in a serious tone, "No, Luke."

"No?" he asked.

Lane sighed and asked, "You mean to tell me that after all of this time, no one ever told you what really happened that night?" When Luke looked at her blankly she shook her head and muttered, "This town."

"What about it?" he asked gruffly.

Lane leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table as she asked, "If I tell you the truth, do you promise that Zach or I will still have a job?"

"What? The truth about what? Why wouldn't you have a job?" he asked incredulously.

"Because no one wanted to tell you, everyone wanted to protect Lorelai, so they made up the singing story," Lane said with a shrug.

"Protect her from what?" Luke asked shaking his head.

Lane sat back and looked at him steadily for a moment before she smiled sadly and said, "From you, Luke."

XXXX

"Mom?" Rory called as she pushed open the ladies room door, wincing at the stench of fresh vomit as she stepped into the room. She heard a soft sniffle from the single stall and pressed her hand to the metal door. "Mom, are you alright? Can I get you anything?" Rory asked gently.

"My dignity?" Lorelai asked in a raspy voice.

Rory smiled at the lame joke and answered with one of her own, "Please, I've never known you to have any dignity."

"Oh Rory," Lorelai said softly.

"You wanna go home?" Rory asked her.

"Is he still out there?" Lorelai asked raggedly.

"Yeah, but we can slip out the back, if you want," Rory offered.

Lorelai sighed and said, "I feel so stupid."

Rory shook her head and said, "There's no reason for you to feel stupid. You sang a lovely song for me. Thank you, Mom," she said with quiet determination.

Lorelai opened the stall door and looked at her daughter. "I did sing it for you. I mean, I meant to sing it for you."

Rory nodded slowly and said, "Well then, you and I know what that was all about, right?" Lorelai glanced at her shoes and then gave her daughter a tremulous smile. "I'll go get our stuff and we'll slip out the back, Jack," she said with a nod.

"Way to make a new plan, Stan," Lorelai answered, hooking her thumbs into the loops of her jeans and hunching her shoulders protectively.

"I'll be right back," Rory said as she reached for the door handle. "Of course, I'll expect an encore in which you only have eyes for me," she teased.

"How is he? I mean, how did he…" Lorelai stammered.

"He's a little shaky, I think," Rory said with a nod. She turned as she walked through the door and said over her shoulder, "But, he's still here. He didn't bolt."

Lorelai nodded as she digested the information. "I wanna go home," she said softly.

"We're going. You stay here," Rory said as she let the door close between them. She hurried back to the table and found Lane and Luke deep in conversation. As she approached, she heard Lane say bluntly, 'From you, Luke,' before they both glanced up at her, surprised by her sudden reappearance. She picked up their purses and said, "We're gonna go. Lane, I'll see you in the morning, okay?" she asked as she glanced around to make sure she wasn't missing any of their belongings. She gave Luke a small, tight smile and said, "See you, Luke."

"Yeah, see ya, Rory," he answered dully. The moment Rory left the table, Luke leaned forward and hissed, "What the hell do you mean, protect her from me?"

Lane sighed and said, "Let's move over there," as she gestured to a quieter corner at the opposite end of the room. She stood up and walked away, leaving Luke to follow her.

When he slowly approached, crossing his arms protectively over his chest Lane sighed and said, "Luke, you know we love you. You've been so good to me and to Zach, and we appreciate everything that you do for us and the boys," she said sincerely. She fidgeted with her hands nervously and said, "This past year was really hard for me." She laughed and said, "Not as hard for me as it was for you and for Lorelai, but hard. I care about you both. Lorelai practically raised me in a non-Mama Kim kind of way," she said with a shrug. "And, I also got to hear it all from Rory," she said with a wince. She looked up at him and said awkwardly, "I know what happened, you know."

"Oh," he said as he lowered his arms and shoved his hands into his back pockets, staring at the floor.

"But, you know, Rory wasn't here every day she didn't see it all. Working in the diner. Watching it all fall apart," Lane said gently.

Luke sighed and asked gruffly, "What's the truth, Lane?"

Lane looked around and said, "Well, you were gone with April, and the wedding was, well, I think the wedding kind of upset Lorelai." She shook her head and said, "I mean, I know she was happy for me and Zach, but I think it really made her realize what was happening with you guys. Or not happening," she added with a pointed look. "Anyway, Rory told me that Lorelai was messing with her phone, looking at pictures and came across one of her and April that they took at the thing Jess had, you know?" she said, jogging his memory. "Lorelai got really upset, although she wouldn't admit it. The next thing you know, she's pounding shot after shot of tequila," she told him. "When it was time to give the speeches, Rory did her toast, and then all of a sudden, Lorelai was up on stage with the microphone," she said shaking her head. "She didn't sing, Luke. I wish she had, that would have been so much better. She stood up in front of the whole town and gave a toast, congratulating me on my ability to get married," she said as she looked up at him. "How a girl she had known most of her life had beaten her to the altar, and how she just wasn't meant to have that or something. She kept going on and on about June third, and how June third wasn't going to be her wedding day," she said, wincing at the memory.

"Why didn't anyone tell me?" Luke asked incredulously.

Lane shrugged and said, "I don't know. We left for our honeymoon, and when we got back, the singing thing was the story we were given and told to stick to. Even though by then things had…" she trailed off. "I guess Patty and Babette figured that you just had cold feet, and that you'd come around," she said uncomfortably. "It was hurting everyone to watch it, Luke. You were so oblivious, so focused on April, that you didn't see or hear anything. And Lorelai," she said as she shook her head sadly. "Lorelai was falling to pieces in front of the whole town," she said quietly. "They felt that they had to protect her, Luke," she insisted.

"From me," he said with stunned disbelief.

"From you," Lane confirmed with a nod. "Now, I know the other stuff. I wish I didn't, but I do," she said as she glanced around the bar and saw Kirk and Lulu prepare to take the stage for a duet. She turned back to him and said, "The song was for Rory. A joke. Dolly Parton, of all people. The song was supposed to be funny," she said almost to herself. She looked back up at him and said, "It probably would have been funny if it weren't so true, huh?"

"I have to go," he said gruffly.

"I understand," Lane said with a nod. "Are we?" she asked gesturing between them.

"We're fine," he assured her. "Tell, um, tell the boys hi for me," he said as he turned and made a beeline for the door.

He stepped out onto the sidewalk and drew in a huge gulping breath of fresh air. Without thinking he began walking aimlessly as his mind raced. How could this have all gotten so fucked up, he wondered. What the hell was he supposed to do about it now? He asked himself. This wasn't all on him. She never said anything. None of them did. Was he supposed to read her mind? Was he just supposed to know how she felt? Was he just supposed to jump and not think about how jumbled up he was himself? He dropped down on the bench in the gazebo and hung his head as he rubbed his palms together. She still loved him, that is, that's what the song said. But she was singing it for Rory. Singing for Rory, but to him. What did that mean?

XXXX

As it sometimes happens, the minute Lorelai got out of the bar and into the fresh air, the tequila really hit her. She stumbled home with Rory's arm firmly around her waist, holding her up. She couldn't talk, she was afraid if she opened her mouth, she'd start to wretch again. Rory helped her up the porch steps and into the house. She steered her into the kitchen and deposited Lorelai into one of the chairs before she rummaged around for the Tylenol and a bottle of water. Rory placed them in front of her and said, "Drink this, and then I'll help you upstairs."

"I'm okay," Lorelai said quietly.

"No, Mom, you're not. But that's okay too," she said as she sat down in the chair next to Lorelai. "You don't have to be okay all of the time," she told her mother gently.

Lorelai tried to twist the cap off of the bottle, but couldn't manage it. She looked up and held it out to Rory pathetically. After disposing of the cap, Rory sat back and watched as Lorelai downed the pills and started to sip the water. "He's wearing the blue hat," Lorelai said softly.

"Yes, I know," Rory answered.

"He hasn't worn it since," Lorelai said with a wave of her hand.

"Yeah, he hasn't," Rory agreed.

"Do you think it was a sign?" Lorelai asked, meeting Rory's eyes for the first time since they sat down.

Rory looked at her mother and said, "I don't know, but I hope so."

"You do?" Lorelai asked.

Rory smiled and said, "Mom, I understand why you felt the need to try things with Dad. You felt like maybe you had passed up something that may have been meant to be," she said with a shrug. "You felt like it was your last chance," she added softly. "But, Mom, since the moment you first told me that Luke had kissed you that night, I knew that this was it. For both of you. Things got screwed up," she said as she ran her thumbnail along the edge of the table. "Really screwed up," she said with a chuckle. "But there is no doubt in my mind that you and Luke will eventually figure it out," she said as she looked up and met Lorelai's gaze. "None, whatsoever," she said softly.

"I wish I knew how he felt," Lorelai whispered.

Rory nodded and said, "Yeah, well, you're gonna have to start trying to find out, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Lorelai said quietly.

"I want you to be happy, Mom. Both of you," Rory said with a tentative smile.

"And I wish you joy, and happi-ness," Lorelai said, her voice breaking on a hiccup.

Rory smiled and said, "My mother, W.C. Fields." She pushed herself up from the table and said, "Come on, my little song bird, time for bed," as she reached for Lorelai's arm.

As Rory led her to the stairs, Lorelai looked over at her and said, "I sang it pretty good though, right? I mean, I'm not Dolly," she said as she gestured to her chest.

"Who is?" Rory asked with a laugh.

"Dolly," Lorelai answered solemnly.

Rory smiled as they reached the top of the stairs and said, "Well, you know what Dolly always said, 'It costs a lot of money to look this trashy,' or something like that."

Lorelai nodded and said, "I've always liked Dolly."

"Sure. Who doesn't like Dolly?" Rory said as she deposited Lorelai on the bed and began to remove her shoes for her.

Lorelai smiled at her weakly and mumbled, "I called him 'Doll,'" as she rolled over and buried her face in the pillow.

"And he let you," Rory whispered as she tiptoed from the room.


	37. Unto the Breach Maybe, a Little

**Unto the Breach. Maybe, a Little…**

Lorelai walked through town pulling her sweater tight around her to ward off the chill in the spring air. She looked up and saw Kirk in the Lucite box and was about to call something to him when Luke came out of the diner with a bag of trash.

"How's it going?" he asked with a nod.

"Hey," she said, trying to sound casual.

Luke glanced around and asked, "What are you doing out here so late?"

Lorelai shrugged and said, "I needed to take a walk to clear my head. And I wanted to see if Kirk was still in the box," she added as she gazed up at Kirk again.

Luke smirked and said, "Yeah apparently he is you know, I wouldn't know. I've decided to ignore him. Gawking only encourages his asinine behavior," he grumbled.

Lorelai looked back at Luke and asked, "What about you? You're usually long gone by now."

Luke shrugged and said, "The softball team's celebrating their first win. I couldn't get them out the door. Clearing your head about what?" he asked.

Lorelai sighed and said, "Logan proposed to Rory."

Luke blinked in astonishment and said, "No way. Wow." He shook his head and said, "Wow. I guess you would need a walk for that. What did she say?" he asked cautiously.

Lorelai just shook her head and said, "Well, she said she needed time to mull it over."

"Good answer," Luke said with an approving nod.

"I thought so," Lorelai agreed.

"Yeah. So, did she ask for your advice?" he asked.

Lorelai pursed her lips for a moment and then said, "She did. Yeah."

"And?" he prompted.

Lorelai gave him a half smile and said, "I told her it was her decision. My mother's picking out china patterns," she added dryly.

Luke chuckled and said, "Oh, I bet she's all over that. So, you're leaning toward 'no'?" he asked her.

Lorelai shook her head quickly and said, "Oh, uh, no. I'm not really leaning. I'm kind of upright," she babbled, trying to sort it out in her head.

Luke nodded and said uncomfortably, "Oh well I just, I could understand if you were leaning away from 'yes.'"

"Why?" she asked, a little more defensively than she meant to.

Luke just held out his hands and said, "Well I mean she's really young and it's the most important decision of your life. You know, her life," he corrected.

Lorelai bristled slightly and said, "Well, they love each other. He's been great. Maybe they got it together young. Some people do," she said with a shrug.

Luke nodded sagely and said, "Right, and others need time," he voice dripping with hidden meaning.

Lorelai looked at him archly and said, "Sure. Or they're never ready."

Luke shrugged and tried to sound casual as he said, "I wouldn't say 'never.' Just they want to be a little more careful. They're a little slower, you know, just to make sure it's right," he explained.

Lorelai jumped on it. "Well you can't always be a hundred percent sure it's right. Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith," she said firmly.

"You got to know what you're leaping into," he insisted.

Lorelai lost the last shred of her patience and asked, "After all this time, how could you not know?"

Luke blinked in shock and asked pointedly, "How could who not know?"

"Rory" Lorelai covered quickly.

Luke nodded slowly and said, "Right."

"Right," Lorelai confirmed, knowing he had caught her slip up.

"Rory," Luke confirmed.

At this point flight overtook fight in Lorelai's mind, so she said, "Well, that was my walk, and, uh, I'm gonna head home."

Still watching her carefully, Luke said, "Good enough." He shook his head slightly and said, "Oh, I almost forgot something. Hang on," he told her as he dashed back into the diner.

Lorelai took a deep breath as she looked around the square and then back up at Kirk. "Are you allowed to talk in there?" she called up to him.

Kirk shook his head inside the Lucite box and called back, "Rules are a little gray on that!"

Luke reappeared with a small jewelry box wrapped in pink paper. "I got this for Rory," he said as he held it out to her.

Lorelai softened as she looked at the box in surprise. "Oh," she said, touched by the gesture.

Luke shrugged and shifted uncomfortably as he said, "Yeah. I just thought it would be better if she got it on the day of her actual graduation."

"Oh, that's, that's, that's nice," Lorelai stammered.

"Yeah, so..." Luke said, trailing off awkwardly.

"Thoughtful," Lorelai murmured as she looked at the small box. She took a deep breath and said, "So, goodnight."

"Goodnight," Luke answered softly.

Lorelai turned to step off of the curb and looked up as she called, "Goodnight, Kirk."

"Goodnight," Kirk answered as he curled up in the box suspended above the square.

Luke turned and walked back into the diner, locking the door behind him. He moved around the dining room, replaying their conversation in his head as he started to put the last of the chairs up on the tables. He jumped when his cell phone began to vibrate and ring in his pocket. He fumbled for it, worried that something could be wrong with April, and flipped it open without looking at the display. "Hello?" he asked anxiously.

"Were you really that unsure of me?" she asked, her voice sounding small and very far away.

"Lorelai?" he asked blankly.

Lorelai laughed shortly and said, "I guess you're unsure if this is even me."

"No, uh, it's just, um, no one calls me on this phone anymore except April. I thought something was wrong with her," he tried to explain as he sank down into the last remaining chair.

"So were you?" she persisted as she turned onto her street.

"Of you?" he asked, stalling for time, trying to get his head in the game.

"Yeah, that was the question," she said quickly.

Luke sighed heavily as he looked down at the tabletop. "No," he answered gruffly. He drummed his fingers against the table. When she didn't say anything, he tipped his head back and stared up at the ceiling as he confessed, "I was that unsure of me."

"You?" she asked, confused. She turned up her driveway, kicking a rock along as she walked.

"Yeah, I had to be sure that it was going to be right for you. And for April," he said in a raspy voice. He took a deep breath and said, "And, apparently, from what I've been learning, it wasn't. Or, I wasn't," he finished lamely.

"You weren't what?" she asked.

He continued to stare up at the ceiling as he searched for the words. "I failed you," he said in a hoarse voice.

Lorelai stopped and was quiet for a moment as she let his words sink in. She crossed her yard and then lowered herself onto the steps, looking up at the moths that danced around the porch light. She turned and looked over at the chuppah that still stood in the corner of the yard and said softly, "Actually, Luke, I think we failed each other."

"Maybe so," he said gruffly.

"The song," she started and then stopped. Luke waited, holding his breath for her to finish. Finally, she chickened out by saying, "I picked that song for Rory, you know, as a joke. Something to goof on."

"I figured," he said and then pressed his lips together, trying to force his heart down out of his throat.

Lorelai leaned over, pressing her chest to her knees as she stared at the toes of her shoes. "The words were true though. I do want you to have a really good life. Joy, happiness, you know," she said softly.

"I want you to have that too," he answered.

"It's late," Lorelai said as she slowly sat up. "I should let you get to bed."

"Yeah, you have a big day tomorrow," he reminded her.

"Thank you," she said quickly. "For always thinking about Rory. For always caring about her," she added sincerely.

Luke shook his head and said, "That's one thing you never have to thank me for. It's my pleasure," he assured her, his voice warm and deep. "Goodnight, Lorelai," he said in a whisper.

"Goodnight, Luke," she said quietly. "Sweet dreams," she wished him, the familiar words slipping past her lips before she could stop them. Quickly, she closed the phone, her cheeks flaming as she held it shut in her hand, praying it wouldn't ring.

Luke pressed the end button and murmured, "You too," as he pushed himself out of the chair, turned out the lights, paused to look at the drawer under the cash register, and then shuffled tiredly to the stairs.

Lorelai got up and walked into the house. She pulled the small pink box from the pocket of her sweater and turned it gingerly in her fingers. She sank down on the couch and stared at it as if trying to get her faulty x-ray vision to work again. They wanted each other to have good lives, but did that mean a life together or apart? she wondered. He cares about me. He cares about Rory. I know that, she told herself. She tossed the little box onto the table and sat back, letting her head loll to the side as she stared up at the pictures on her mantelpiece. But, did the hat mean the same thing as the song? If it did, why couldn't he just say something? I opened my mouth and the words came out, she justified to herself. Why can't he just say something, do something, anything, to let me know which way we're going to go? she wondered as she sat up and stared at the little box again.

Because he's Luke, and you're you, she chastised herself as she got up off of the couch and headed for the stairs. Rory was right, friend Luke is better than no Luke at all. He may never be able to give you more than that, she told herself. Just friends is fine. It's better this way. It's better than nothing, she reminded herself as she pulled the single toothbrush from the holder.


	38. Bonjour, Mon Amour

**A/N: Yes, I do plan on writing an epilogue, so this will be the penultimate chapter. I hope that you enjoy it in all of it's mushy fluffiness!**

**Bonjour, Mon Amour**

"Hey," Sookie said as she jostled Lorelai's elbow.

"Hey!" Lorelai said happily.

Sookie looked around too and asked, "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Lorelai shook her head in disbelief and said, "It's so beautiful. I can't believe you pulled it off."

"No, I just did all the baking. This was all Luke," she said firmly, giving Lorelai a pointed look.

"What?" Lorelai asked.

Sookie shook her head and said, "He made me promise not to tell you, but I don't care!" She gestured to the tent and said, "This is all Luke. He did all of it. He's the one that came to me and said, 'let's do the party, and then he planned the secret town meeting, and everything," she told Lorelai.

"Really?" Lorelai asked as she tried to process what Sookie was telling her.

Sookie nodded emphatically and said, "Yeah. I mean last night when we thought it was gonna rain and we'd have to cancel the party, he went around and collected everybody's tarps and tents and raincoats." Lorelai raised her eyes to look at the colorful makeshift tent as Sookie went on, "I don't know how he did it. He must have stayed up all night doing this. Can you believe that?" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah," Lorelai said with a slow nod. She looked at Sookie, took a deep breath and said, "I'll be back," as she turned to find the man in question.

"Okay," Sookie said with a relieved sigh, and crossed her fingers on both hands.

Lorelai moved through the crowd, greeting people and answering questions without even seeing them. She checked the grill and the food tables, but Luke was nowhere to be seen. She looked up and saw him moving around in the dimly lit diner and started to walk over there. As she crossed the street, Luke came out with a bag of charcoal in his hand. "Hey," she called out to him.

Luke pulled up short and stopped in front of her as he said, "Hey."

Lorelai glanced down and then up at him breathlessly for a moment and then she said simply, "Thank you."

In typical Luke fashion, he shrugged a little and said dismissively, "Oh, it's, no big deal."

Lorelai cocked her head and studied his face as she whispered, "Luke," in her 'it is a big deal' voice.

Luke couldn't tear his eyes from hers as he shook his head imperceptibly and said only, "I just, like to see you happy."

The answer she had been looking for was in his eyes. She moved slightly, and Luke stepped closer, dropping the bag of charcoal to the ground and wrapping his arms around her tightly as their lips met. He tightened his arm around her neck, and Lorelai clung to his shoulder as he deepened the kiss. When he pulled back slightly, he continued to hold her tightly, afraid to let her go. Lorelai kept her eyes closed tightly, squeezing the solid warmth of his shoulder with her hand as his warm breath washed over her lips. "Is this really happening?" she whispered.

Luke's lips curved into a smile as he answered unequivocally, "Yes, this is really happening."

Lorelai opened her eyes cautiously, and met his intense blue stare head on. "I love you. I never stopped loving you," she said softly. She kept her gaze steady on his as she said in a stronger voice, "I never have, and I never will love anyone the way that I love you."

"I've loved you since the first time I saw you," he said in a rusty voice, loosening his hold to run his hand over her hair. "Nothing can change that. Ever. I can't not love you," he said with a helpless shrug.

"Luke, I'm so…" she started to say, but she stopped as she saw him shaking his head adamantly.

"No, no more," he said, cutting her off. "You're sorry, I'm sorry. No more," he said, his voice breaking. "We have to talk. I know that. But not tonight, Lorelai," he said softly. "Tonight, let's just let it be what it is, okay?" he asked gently. "I love you and you love me," he stated unequivocally. "It is what it is," he said in a quiet voice.

"And that's exactly what it is," she agreed as she toyed with a button on his flannel. "Please kiss me again," she said softly. "I need you to kiss me and hold me," she said as she lifted her lips to his.

"That I can do," he murmured as he lowered his lips to hers. He brushed her mouth gently, savoring the whisper soft feel of her lips under his before he pressed them to hers more insistently. Lorelai parted hers, inviting him in, waiting for him. Luke groaned softly and deepened the kiss, his tongue touching hers tentatively at first, but gaining more confidence as she responded, melting into him. When they finally broke apart, Lorelai hugged him tightly as she buried her face in his neck and said in a voice choked with emotion, "I'm so happy. So happy."

Luke ran his hand over her hair, holding her to him tightly as he said, "Me too."

XXXX

Rory was standing near the DJ table, nibbling a cookie and looking through a stack of CDs, when she heard the one thing that could make her move faster than free samples at Sephora.

"Oh my God! They're kissin'!" Babette screeched. Rory looked up to see her pointing to the diner as she yelled, "Patty! Patty! Lorelai and Luke are kissin'!"

Rory dropped the half eaten cookie on top of the CDs and took off like a shot, pushing through the crowd faster than any Gilmore girl ever moved before. She heard Patty say as she grabbed Babette's arm to stop her from following Rory, "Let them have their moment, dear," as she signaled the crowd to stay back. As they watched the scene unfold before them, Patty sighed loudly and said, "Thank God."

"Amen," Babette seconded solemnly.

"And hallelujah," Sookie added as she sidled up next to them.

Rory's shoes slapped loudly against the pavement, startling Lorelai and Luke from their little world as she ran up to them. "You're kissing? You're kissing!" she panted as she bounced up and down next to them and then flung her arms awkwardly around both of them. "Oh my God, you're kissing. I never thought I would be so happy to see you guys actually, kissing," she said in the squeaky voice as she hugged them.

Luke chuckled as he loosened his hold on Lorelai and smiled at Rory. He cleared his throat and said gruffly, "We should get back to your party."

"Luke did this, Rory," Lorelai told her daughter with a brilliant smile.

"Lorelai," Luke said in a warning tone.

"This?" Rory asked. She turned to Luke and asked, "You did all of this?"

"It was no big deal," he insisted as he bent to pick up the bag of charcoal. "Everyone pitched in, they all wanted to have the party," he said as he rolled his eyes at them.

"He sewed tarps and coats and tablecloths and anything he could get his hands on together because it was going to rain," Lorelai said, ignoring Luke's protests as she turned to look at the tent again.

"Well, Babette's ankles are never wrong," Luke said dryly as he tried to step away from them slightly.

Rory turned to look at him and said softly, "You did all of this." When she saw him open his mouth to protest, she launched herself at his chest, hugging him tightly. Luke once again dropped the bag of charcoal and self consciously hugged her back. Rory looked up at him and said, "I love you, Luke. We love you, Luke," she corrected quickly.

Luke felt the blush rising in his cheeks as he stepped back, cleared his throat and said gruffly, "That's the word on the street." He smiled at Rory and said, "Me too."

Lorelai watched as he picked up the bag again, and then hooked her arm through his. "You love you too?" she asked him as she started to lead him back to the party.

"Of course he does, Luke should have a very healthy ego after all of this adoration," Rory said as she grabbed the arm holding the charcoal and helped to escort him along.

"I could just go home," he grumbled, trying to keep his face straight, but failing miserably.

Lorelai snorted and said, "Yeah, right. You're ours now, buddy," as she pulled him along.

"Just as it should be," Rory agreed with a nod.

"Damn straight," Luke said as the three of them approached the waiting crowd.

XXXX

He sat sandwiched between them at a table, accepting the hugs and pats on the back, accepting the morsels of food that Lorelai felt compelled to hold up to his mouth, accepting that everything was finally going to work out the way he wanted it to. He felt his phone vibrate before he heard it ring, and shifted in his seat to dig it out of his jeans pocket. As he did, he felt the long pink box he had shoved into a back pocket earlier and glanced at Lorelai as he opened the phone and said, "Hello?" His smile became even wider when he heard the voice on the other end. He was about to excuse himself from the table when he saw Lorelai glance over at him while talking to Sookie. Instead, he said happily, "April. Hey, I'm so glad you called." He held the phone away from his mouth and whispered, "It's April," to Lorelai.

She smiled and whispered back, "I figured that out."

"No, no, we're having a going away party for Rory," Luke said into the phone. "Yeah, she got a job. She's going to be covering Barack Obama's campaign. Yeah that is really cool," he agreed as he turned and smile affectionately at Rory. "What? Oh, sure, hang on," he said as he held the phone out to Rory. He waved it at her a little and said, "April wants to congratulate you." He watched as Rory chatted with April for a minute and then handed the phone back to him. He held it to his ear again and said, "Hey, listen, I have some, uh, news," as he reached over to cover Lorelai's hand on her leg. "No, I haven't finally killed Taylor," he said with a laugh. "This is even better than that," he told her as Lorelai and Sookie exchanged giggles and congratulatory looks. "So, uh, Lorelai and I," he started, but was interrupted by the high pitch squeal that made him hold the phone out away from his ear. When he heard her start talking a mile a minute he shook his head and put it back to his ear saying, "Hang on, hang on. I think I lost the hearing in my right ear." He nodded as he listened and then said, "Sure." He turned and held the phone out to Lorelai and said, "I don't know why she bothered calling me, she'd obviously rather talk to you guys."

"Hello?" Lorelai said with a happy smile. "I know!" she crowed into the phone and launched into a rapid fire conversation with the teenager.

Rory looked over at Luke and said quietly, "Good boy."

XXXX

As the party wore on, Lorelai looked over at Luke and caught him trying to stifle a yawn. She looked at him closely and then asked, "Did you sleep at all last night?"

He opened his mouth to brush off her concern, but instead found himself confessing, "Not really."

Lorelai nodded and said, "Okay, party animal," as she stood up and tugged on his arm. "Let's get you home," she said with a smile.

"But, no, the party," he tried to protest.

"Will rock on without you," she assured him.

"It's only nine thirty," he said as he glanced at his watch.

"Your usual bedtime, Gramps," she teased as she tugged on him again.

"I'm not ready," he said as he looked up at her nervously.

Lorelai's face softened as she said, "Luke, you have to be completely worn out." She sat back down next to him and said in a low voice, "I promise, I will see you tomorrow. And the day after that. And the day after that," she added for good measure.

"I'm responsible for this," he protested as he gestured to the party as a whole.

"And dozens of people will make sure that Taylor will not issue you a citation in the morning. I will personally guarantee that," she said firmly.

"You're trying to get rid of me so that you can have some fun," he grumbled.

"Yes, I've been telling everyone that we have to hold off on the fun until you go to bed," she said solemnly. She reached over and laced her fingers through his as she said, "We have to be up before dawn to get to the airport. I assure you, the party is almost over for us too." She stood up again and said, "Now, come on, I'll walk you to your door."

Luke sighed and stood up. He looked down at her and said, "I am pretty tired."

"I'll bet you are," she said with a nod. "Come on, you can go say goodbye to Rory," she said as she looked around, trying to spot her daughter.

"No, not yet," he said quickly.

"Well, Hon, she'll be gone first thing in the morning," she said with a frown.

Luke shook his head and said, "Get up a little earlier and come to the diner. I'll make you breakfast."

"You should sleep," she said as she shook her head gently.

"Please, let me do this," he said in a low voice. "I don't want to say goodbye to her here, not with everyone watching," he said as he looked at her pleadingly.

"Okay, well, let me just go tell her I'm walking you home," Lorelai said as she spotted Rory and took off after her.

She caught up to her daughter as Rory was employing evasive maneuvers to avoid Taylor's incessant questioning about her new position. There were only so many ways she could think of to politely say, 'I don't know yet, I haven't started,' and Rory was pretty sure she had used them all. When she spotted Lorelai heading toward her, she sighed with relief. She grinned as she said, "So, you finally managed to pry yourself away from his side, huh?"

"Not for long," Lorelai assured her with a cheeky smile. "Hey, I'm gonna go walk my date home. He seems to be a little worn out from his all night tent sewing," she said with a 'go figure' shrug.

"Oh, poor Luke," Rory said sympathetically. "Okay, I'll come and say goodbye," she said with a nod.

"No," Lorelai said as she caught Rory's arm.

"No? I can't leave without saying goodbye to Luke," Rory scoffed.

"No, I mean, you'll see him in the morning," Lorelai tried to explain.

"Oh. Ahhh!" Rory said with an exaggerated nod. "Okay, a little weird," she said with a shrug.

"No! No!" Lorelai said quickly as she waved her hands. "I meant that he wants us to come to the diner early tomorrow for breakfast. He wants to say goodbye without so many people around," she said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Oh. Oh, that's sweet," Rory said softly. "But that would be so early. The diner won't be open yet," she protested.

Lorelai grinned and said, "Lucky for you, I have an in with the owner."

"You do," Rory said with a matching grin. "Okay, you go tuck him in, but you come right back, Missy," she said as she waggled a finger in her mother's face.

"Yes, ma'am," Lorelai said with a quick nod. She turned but stopped as she heard the strains of a familiar song start to play over the sound system. She looked over at the table where Kirk was playing DJ and spotted Luke standing there waiting for her with his hands jammed into his pockets. She walked over to him and said, "Hey."

Luke smiled and held out one hand as he asked, "You want to dance?"

"Really?" she asked with a smile.

"Yeah," he answered gruffly.

Lorelai let him fold her into his arms as she said, "You told me once that you didn't dance."

"And I also told you that I was a compulsive liar," he said with a chuckle.

"You asked him to play this song," she said softly.

Luke blushed as he glanced down and said, "I couldn't remember the name of it, so I had to remind him about Liz and T.J.'s wedding and tell him some of the words."

"Did you sing them for him?" she asked as she pulled back to look at him.

Luke snorted and said, "Hell, no."

Lorelai pressed her cheek to his again and whispered, "You are a romantic."

"Not hardly," he grumbled.

"You remembered enough words to remind Kirk which song it was," she retorted.

"Well, it was pretty memorable for me," he whispered in her ear.

"Me too," she said as he turned her in slow circles. As the song drew to a close she whispered, "Reflecting Light. I had him burn a copy to CD for me while you were in Maine that summer."

Luke turned his head to kiss her lightly before asking, "Who's the romantic?"

"I am," she admitted as they slowed to a stop.

Luke smiled at her lovingly and asked, "Walk me home? Make sure I get there okay?"

"I'd better. Patty's been into the punch. It's not safe for a nice boy like you out here," she teased as they began to walk hand in hand toward the diner.

As they crossed under the streetlight near where Kirk's box had been suspended the previous week, Luke stopped in his tracks. "Oh, I have something for you," he said as he released her hand and reached into his back pocket. He pulled out the box and handed it to her.

"For me?" she asked.

He shrugged and said, "I saw it when I was getting Rory's gift. It reminded me of you." When Lorelai continued to look down at the box, he asked, "Don't you want to open it?"

Lorelai looked up at him and asked, "You got this last week?" When Luke nodded mutely, she looked down at the box again and asked, "For me?"

"For you," he answered softly.

She tore the paper from the box and found a delicate necklace with a bright blue stone. "Oh, Luke," she sighed.

"It matches your eyes," he pointed out nervously.

Lorelai looked up at him with tears in her eyes as she asked, "Put it on for me?"

Luke took the necklace and carefully unhooked the clasp as she gathered her hair into her hands. "So, you'll be here at what time?" he asked as he clasped it around her neck.

Lorelai fingered the stone gently as she said, "Um, five?"

Luke nodded and said, "That's fine. I'll have the coffee ready." They slowly climbed the steps and Luke turned to her and said with a smirk, "Thanks for walking me home."

Lorelai swayed toward him slightly and said, "I think I should see you to your door. Just to be safe," she added in a serious tone.

Luke smiled as he opened the diner door and held it for her to enter. They walked up the steps to the door of his apartment in silence. When Lorelai turned to look at him she said, "Enjoy your last night of peace and quiet. Starting tomorrow, we're not spending another night apart."

"Lorelai," he started, but she shook her head stubbornly.

"No. We're not. I don't care if you have to be up at the butt crack of dawn every day. I don't care if you have a sniffle or SARS, I'm staying with you. It can be here or there, wherever," she said with a dismissive wave. When he opened his mouth to speak she said quickly, "I don't want another first date. I don't want to start over again. We made mistakes, big ones, both of us. I want to learn from those mistakes and move on, but I really, really don't want to start over," she said pleadingly. "If we're going to be together, we're going to be together. No more his and hers, only ours. This is your last night without me, so live it up. You're not getting rid of me. You are stuck with me now," she warned direly.

Luke smiled and said, "I was only going to ask if you thought you might want blueberries in your pancakes. If so, I have to get some out of the freezer to thaw before morning," he told her.

"Oh," she said softly as her cheeks turned pink. "Uh, no," she stammered. "You got chocolate chips?" she asked.

"Yes, I have chocolate chips," he said with a grin.

"Well, those will do if we are so inclined," she said with a nod.

"And, for the record, I am very, very happy to be stuck with you," he said as he pulled her to him.

"Well, thank you Huey Lewis," she said with a grin.

"And, I agree with everything you just said. Except, maybe the SARS thing. I'm not sure I could go along with that one," he said with a shrug.

"Hey," she said softly.

"What?" he asked.

"Are you going to shut up and kiss me, or what?" she asked.

Luke grinned at her and asked, "What does the 'what' involve? I may be interested."

"I love you, and you'd better get used to hearing it, because I think I'm going to start saying it a lot," she said sternly.

"I consider myself warned," he murmured as he leaned in to kiss her. He brushed her hair back gently and said softly, "I'll try to be better about that too."

"You do that," she recommended with a nod.

Luke kissed her sweetly, drawing her lips against his and nibbling on her bottom lip gently. "I love you, Crazy Lady," he said as he pressed his forehead to hers. "Now, get back to your party," he said as he pecked another kiss to her lips.

"Rory's party," she corrected as she kissed him again.

"It's for both of you," he said as he pulled her closer and kissed her with everything that he had. When he stepped back, his chest was heaving as he said, "You'd better go now. I'll see you in the morning."

"Every morning, I'm afraid," she said with a smile as she backed slowly toward the stairs.

Luke smiled back at her as he opened the apartment door and said, "Oddly enough, I'm not afraid of that at all."

XXXX

Luke stood up from the table and began to clear their breakfast dishes. When he came back from the kitchen, he tore an order sheet from the pad and said, "I'll take care of that for you when you're ready," as he placed it face down on the table and walked away again.

Rory giggled as Lorelai gaped at the check and snatched it up. She read it and smiled foolishly as she turned in her chair to see where he's gone off to. "What? How much?" Rory demanded. Lorelai giggled as she handed Rory the ticket to read. "I'm not dumb enough to put the details in writing, but you owe me," she read aloud. She looked over at Lorelai and cooed, "Aw, a love letter written in Lukish."

"I know," Lorelai grinned as she snatched it back from her daughter. She gave Rory a bawdy wink and said, "This is one tab I'm not gonna mind picking up."

"Ew, okay, enough," Rory said as she held up her hands defensively. She smiled at Lorelai and said sincerely, "I'm so excited for you."

"I am too," Lorelai admitted. She dropped her voice and leaned closer to Rory as she said, "I promise I will not let either of us screw it up this time."

"Yeah, me too," Luke said as he appeared behind them with coffee pot and to-go cups in hand.

"Damn, he's like a ninja sometimes," Lorelai hissed as she jumped and pressed her hand to her heart. She turned her head to look at Luke's watch and said, "We'd better go."

"Yeah, it's about that time," Luke said with a nod.

Lorelai looked up at him and then back at Rory as she stood up and said, "I should, uh, use the bathroom before we leave," as she gestured over her shoulder and hurried off to give Luke a few minutes alone with Rory.

He sat back down as he poured their to-go cups and made sure the lids were tight. He cleared his throat and said gruffly, "You know if you ever need anything…"

"I know," Rory said with a nod.

Luke looked up from his task and said, "You be really careful. Aware of your surroundings, who you're around, you know," he trailed off with a shrug. "Take really good care of yourself," he said quietly as he handed over a bag of muffins for the trip.

"Thanks, Luke. For everything," she said as she took the bag from him. "And you," she said sternly. "Don't let her boss you around too much, okay?" she asked. When Luke laughed, she shook her head and said, "No, I'm serious. Don't let what happened before make you scared to say anything or stand up for yourself." She looked down at the table and said, "I think that's what happened before, with Mom. She was afraid to push you. Afraid to be herself," she said with a shrug. She looked up again and said, "That's all I'm gonna say about it. Just don't forget to be Luke and to let her be Lorelai, okay?" she asked.

"Okay," he said in a hoarse voice.

"I'm counting on you to take care of her," Rory said softly.

"I promise. I won't let you down again," he said sincerely.

Rory nodded and said, "Good. I'd hate to have to come back here and open up a can of whoop ass on you," she said with a grin.

Luke chuckled as he looked down at the table and said, "I'd hate that too."

"So, what are your intentions with my mother?" she asked in a teasing tone.

"I intend to marry her as soon as she's ready," he said seriously.

Rory sat back and blinked in surprise. "Well, okay, I guess that's about as honorable as they get," she said with a laugh. "I ask one thing," she said as she leaned forward again.

"Yes, both you and April will be there," he said with a nod.

"Okay," she said with a sigh of relief. "Okay, well, I guess you have my permission, then," she said with a nod and a huge grin.

"Permission to do what?" Lorelai asked as she came back to the table.

"To beat you when you're out of line," Rory said quickly. "But only where the bruises don't show," she qualified.

Luke shook his head as he stood up and said, "Nothing like a good domestic abuse joke to start the day off right." He held his arms open to Rory, who quickly stood and leaned into them. "Be careful," he said gruffly as he ruffled her hair.

"I will," she promised.

He turned to Lorelai and said, "You be careful driving."

"I will," she said as she leaned in to kiss him goodbye. "Thank you for breakfast. I'll be back to settle up later," she said with an awkward wink.

"You do that," he said with a nod. He smiled and said, "Bye, Rory. Good luck, you'll do great, I know it."

"Bye, Luke," Rory said as she gave him a little wave. "Remember, I'm leaving you Mom and Lane, and I expect to find them here when I get back," she said as she opened the door.

"We'll all be here," he assured her. He looked at Lorelai and murmured, "Call me if you want me to come and drive you home."

"I'm good, Doll. Really," she said as she kissed him again. "I'll call when I'm on my way home," she promised, knowing he'd be worried.

"Okay, good," he said as he watched them walk to the Jeep. He held up his hand in a wave as he watched them pull away and closed the door so gently that the bells hardly jingled.

XXXX

As Lorelai walked with Rory to the security checkpoint, she asked, "Do you have everything you need?" She looked down at Rory and said, "You have your laptop, your book, a bottle of water. Oh, trashy magazine money?" she asked as she started to dig her wallet form her bag.

"Mom," Rory said as she touched Lorelai's arm to stop her.

"You need trashy magazines. There will be times when you feel like a little light reading, and no, Tolstoy doesn't count," Lorelai said shaking her head.

"If I need them, I have cash, a debit card, a credit card and the fifty dollars that Luke put in an envelope with the diner number, apartment number and his cell number written on it and stuffed into the muffin bag," she said with a smirk.

Lorelai smiled and said, "He can be so sweet sometimes."

"Tell him thank you for me," Rory said with a nod. She glanced over her shoulder at the security line and said, "I hope you upped your minutes, because I'm going to be calling a lot. And e-mailing, so don't forget to check it," she admonished her mother.

"I won't. And, I already have your webpage bookmarked, so we'll be watching for some juicy Obama tidbits," she said with a nod.

"Okay, well, okay," Rory said as she blew out a breath. She looked at Lorelai and said, "I'm just gonna go, okay?"

Lorelai nodded quickly and tried to fight back the tears burning behind her eyes. "Okay," she whispered.

Rory hugged her tightly and said, "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, Kid. So much," Lorelai said softly.

Rory nodded and adjusted the strap of her computer bag as she backed away slowly. She smiled and said, "Oh, by the way, there are some boxes in the garage mixed in with my Yale stuff. They're marked 'General Studies Textbooks' or something like that. You're gonna want those back now," she said as she continued to move away from Lorelai.

"What?" Lorelai asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

Rory shrugged and said, "You never know when you might need an extra spatula around. Bye, Mom," she called as she turned and waggled her fingers over her shoulder.

"Luke boxes? You kept them?" Lorelai shouted as Rory got into line and showed her ID to the security agent.

When she was cleared through, Rory yelled back, "Yeah, but I swiped the camo miniskirt. I decided that it was too cute to go into hiding like that." She watched as Lorelai covered her mouth with her hand and waved again as she dug out her cell phone and pulled the envelope from the muffin bag. She turned back and called out, "Now go home! Don't make me use this," she warned as she waved the envelope at her and held up the phone for Lorelai to see.

Lorelai smiled as she nodded and turned away. She took about ten steps and then repositioned herself in a spot where she could watch her baby pass through the metal detectors. When Rory finally disappeared from sight, Lorelai started toward the exit, pulling her cell from her bag as it began to ring. She flipped it open, assuming it would be Luke, and said, "Hello?"

"I miss you already," Rory said softly.

"Me too, Kid," Lorelai said with a smile. "Now, go knock 'em dead," she said as she walked out into the early morning sunlight.

"Bye, Mom," Rory said as she hung up.

"Bye Sweets," Lorelai said softly as she disconnected. She looked down at her phone for a minute before she punched in the number she had never been able to erase from her own memory. When she heard him bark, 'Luke's' into the phone, she smiled tremulously and said, "I'm on my way home. I miss you."

"Meet you at the house in thirty," Luke said with a nod as he delivered Ed his omelet.

"Make it forty, I'm not even to the car yet," she told him.

"I'll be waiting," he answered.


	39. That Coulple Life Begins

**A/N: Here it is, at last. Thank you all so much for sticking with me through thick and thin on this one. This final chapter was a lot harder for me than I ever anticipated. There was so much more to say. I know there were many of you who were waiting on the smut, and it is there, but probably not as much of it as you would have liked. The story just flowed a little to sweetly to dirty it up too much. Now that this is complete, I will turn my attentions back to Middle Management and Good at Dirty, so you can get your dirty! fix there. At least, until something else distracts me… **

**Thank you again. I truly enjoyed writing this one, even the icky parts. Funny how that turns out sometimes…**

**That Couple Life Begins**

Lorelai smiled as she felt Luke reach over and place his hand on her stomach. She opened her eyes, but was not surprised to see that his were still closed, his breathing deep and even. She looked at him, marveling at how relaxed and almost boyish he looked in his sleep. She knew that each of them must do this very thing multiple times a night, every night. Reach out, a soft touch, the brush of a foot, a flicker of the eyelids, just to be sure that the other is still there. Really there. "I'm here," she whispered to him.

"Good," he mumbled without opening his eyes. "This had better not be bad luck," he warned in a rusty voice.

"We're making our own luck," she told him softly.

His lids fluttered open and his dark blue gaze fixed on her. "Hi," he said softly.

Lorelai smiled as she snuggled down into her pillow and whispered, "Hi back."

He looked at her steadily and asked, "You ready for this?"

"I was born ready for this," she answered.

Luke snorted sleepily and said, "Yeah, not so much."

"Okay," she conceded. "How about this? I want this more than anything else in the world," she said softly.

"More than a lifetime supply of coffee and Mallomars?" he asked.

"Yes," she said with a definite nod.

"Wow," he said as he stretched his legs, rubbing his foot against hers.

Lorelai nodded and said, "I know. Pretty impressive, huh?"

"I'm impressed," he answered.

"How about you?" she asked.

"More than I want you to stop swilling coffee and snarfing Mallomars," he said solemnly.

Lorelai turned and looked at the early morning sunlight filtering through the gauzy curtains. She turned back to look at him and said, "Looks like a nice day to get married."

"I think so," he answered as he pulled her closer to him.

"The girls are downstairs," she warned him.

"I'm aware of that. I just want you closer," he answered.

Lorelai reached over and smoothed his neatly trimmed hair over his ear. "Big day," she said with a happy sigh.

"The biggest," he answered.

"I feel," she started and then stopped, trying to put her finger on it. "I feel calm," she finished with a shrug.

Luke nodded and said, "Yeah. Eerily calm."

"Content?" she asked him.

"Perfectly content," he said, nodding against his pillow.

"I should probably get up. There are a million things to do yet," she told him. She laughed and said. "Sookie has probably imploded."

Luke nodded and said, "Yeah, and I saw the list that April and Rory had going down there."

Lorelai smiled at him tenderly and said, "The next time we see each other will be at the altar."

"Looking forward to it," he said in a raspy voice.

"A little pre-marital necking?" she asked.

Luke smiled as he rolled over, pressing her to the bed beneath him. "You just want one last cheap and easy thrill before taking the plunge?" he asked.

"You're not cheap and you are anything but easy," she said with a laugh.

"Hey," he said as he pulled back, affronted. "Wait. Was that an insult? I'm not really sure," he said as he thought about it.

"It was both a compliment and an insult wrapped up in one neat combo," she told him.

"You are very talented," he said with a nod.

"Thank you. I trained at the knee of the master," she said with a nod.

Luke kissed her lightly and said, "Speaking of the master, what time does your mother get here?"

"An hour or so. Now, give us a little thrill, Burger Boy, and make it a good one," she murmured. Luke kissed her tenderly, pouring his heart and soul into the kiss as Lorelai arched up to meet him giving hers in return.

XXXX

_It hadn't been easy getting there, to that sunlit room on a hot, hazy August morning, but it hadn't been as hard as they expected, either. True to his word, Luke was waiting for her on the porch steps when she got home from the airport. He stood up as she parked the Jeep, and sat still in the driver's seat for a moment. He walked over, opened the door and waited patiently until she turned to look at him. Her eyes were swimming with tears that had yet to spill over. Without a word, he opened his arms slightly and she fumbled her way out of the car and into his embrace. He held her there in the front yard, as she cried, mourning her baby's departure. Finally, he wrapped an arm around her waist and they walked hip to hip into the house and to the couch, where she curled up against him, her tears soaking through his flannel and the t-shirt beneath. He continued stroking her back soothingly even after she calmed, glad to be the one to comfort her, happy to be the guy to dry her wet cheeks with the gentle caress of his fingertips._

_Lorelai held firm to her convictions, and that night after retrieving three boxes marked, 'General Studies Textbooks,' from the garage, Luke climbed into bed next to her and they fell into an exhausted sleep wrapped in the security of one another's arms. They allowed themselves a few days grace, just a few days to wallow in both the joy of their reunion, and the grief of Rory's departure. When Lorelai awoke the following Thursday morning she looked over to find him watching her sleep. "Hey," she whispered._

"_Hi," he said as he brushed her hair back from her face._

_Lorelai looked at him solemnly and said, "We need to talk."_

"_Yeah, I know," he said in a voice tinged with both fear and regret._

"_It will be good," she promised him. _

"_You think?" he asked doubtfully._

_Lorelai smiled and said, "Well, no matter what, it's not going to change the outcome, right?"_

"_Right," he answered with a nod._

"_So, that will be good. To get it out there. To finish it off once and for all," she said encouragingly._

"_I guess so," he conceded with a sigh. He turned his head and stared up at the ceiling as he said, "I really hate that TV."_

"_Then it goes," she said simply. She reached for his hand and laced her fingers through his as she said, "I think we should look for a new house."_

"_You do?" he asked, shocked that she was even considering it._

"_We need room for April when she comes. And, I still think that kids would be good," she said quietly._

_Luke turned to look at her and said, "So do I."_

"_Our house. That we pick out together. Move into together," she said firmly._

"_Before or after we get married?" he asked her, letting her know that marriage was a foregone conclusion for him._

"_Doesn't matter to me," she said with a shrug. "Depends on how soon you want to," she told him the calmness in her voice covering the pounding of her heart._

"_Is it crazy to be talking about this so soon?" he asked her with a frown._

"_Not as far as I'm concerned," she answered. "This is a done deal, you and me," she said as she rolled up onto her side and propped her head up._

"_Yes, it is," he agreed._

"_Are we going to talk about Christopher?" she asked._

"_Not in bed," he answered tersely._

"_Fair enough," she said with a nod. "Then we should probably talk about April and Anna when were not in bed too," she told him._

"_I have to go to work," he said worriedly, reluctant to leave now that the conversation had started._

"_We talk tonight?" she asked._

"_Tonight," he said with a nod. He rolled over to face her and said, "I want to get married soon. I don't want to wait any longer than we have to."_

"_Well then, you should probably propose to me," she said with a smile._

"_I probably should," he said, nodding as he grinned back at her. _

"_I still have the ring," she told him. "I gave it to Rory to give back to you, but she packed it away in one of the Luke boxes," she told him. "I found it in its box wrapped up in that blue flannel shirt I swiped," she said shaking her head._

"_I'll take care of the proposing. That's my job," he said sternly._

_Lorelai nodded slowly and said, "Fine. I'll let you take care of that."_

"_Thank you very much," he said dryly._

"_It's in the jewelry box," she told him in an exaggerated whisper._

"_Okay," he whispered back, unable to resist the urge to grin at her._

"_Maybe we should eat out tonight, that way we can't yell and scream at each other," she suggested._

"_I don't plan to yell and scream, but if you want to go out, we can," he answered easily._

_Lorelai cocked her head and said, "I remember once you told me that you had decided to adopt a Zen attitude in dealing with Taylor. I remember how weird and funny it was. Very un-Luke," she said with a chuckle. She looked at him as she sobered and asked, "You aren't doing that now, are you? Getting all fake Zen on me? Because, if you are, I'd rather you yelled and screamed," she told him sincerely._

_Luke shook his head and said, "No, no fake Zen for you." He sighed and said, "Lorelai, I've learned a lot about myself this last year. Some things that I didn't like and some that I know I can't really change. That's just who I am," he said with a shrug. "I just, you're right," he said a he gestured to her. "There's no sense in getting all freaked out about it. There's no reason to be mad anymore. I mean, I know we have to talk it out, and work on some things, but it doesn't really matter what we say. It's not going to change the way that I feel," he said simply. He smiled as he gave a rueful chuckle and said, "Believe me, if I could have found a way to hate you, I would have."_

"_I don't doubt that," she said dryly._

"_But, the fact of the matter is that I don't hate you. I love you, and this is where I want to be," he said plainly._

"_Me too," she said with a soft smile. "To all of it," she added._

"_Give me the words," he teased._

"_I don't hate you," she said soberly._

"_Thank you very much," he said as he rolled over and swung his legs over the side of the bed. "I need to get ready," he said as he stood up and stretched, rubbing his stomach through his t-shirt._

_Lorelai smiled as she watched him walk stiffly to the bathroom, twisting his back to loosen the muscles up as he went. "I'll wait until you're done," she said as she reached for his pillow and pulled it over on top of hers. She snuggled into it and closed her eyes as she breathed in the scent of Luke. She smiled to herself as he closed the bathroom door behind him and murmured, "Hmm, he does smell faintly of meat."_

XXXX

After having breakfast with Luke, Rory and April, Lorelai went upstairs, and lit the candle she kept on the bathroom vanity before running the water in the tub and dumping in a generous amount of bubble bath. She piled her hair up on top of her head and stepped into the tub. She sank back, letting the bubbles cover her as she stared at the pale pink polish on her toes. She had wanted to go red, but Rory and April have overridden her. She closed her eyes, thinking about the fun the three of them had had the previous afternoon.

Rory had dropped her off at the reception desk at the spa and given them strict instructions to rub her until she was roughly the consistency of Jell-o. She flashed Lorelai a big smile as she hooked her arm through April's and said, "We're going shopping and then we'll be back for mani/pedi time. Be a good Bridezilla," she called as they breezed out of the door.

The girls returned two hours later with a handful of bags and huge grins. Lorelai shuffled into the pedicure room as loose as the proverbial goose. "Hey," she said as she saw them lounging in their chairs comparing tabloids and waiting for their technicians.

"Hi, Mom," Rory said brightly.

April smiled at her and said, "You look much better now."

"I feel like a rubber band," Lorelai said as Rory moved over a chair so that she could sit in between them. "You guys have fun?" she asked lazily.

"Rory and I have decided that we each like having a sister," April informed her in her usual blunt manner.

Lorelai smiled as she looked from side to side, seeing the happy smiles on each girl's face. "You do, huh?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah. Tell her what the best part is," Rory said as she flipped through her magazine feigning disinterest.

"Oh, the best part," April said with a knowing smile.

Lorelai's head whipped between them and asked, "What? What's the best part?"

"Second best part, really," Rory said with a shrug.

"True," April agreed as she went back to looking at her magazine.

"Okay, now, you know if you don't tell me what the best part, or the second best part is, my bridal stress meter will go shooting off of the charts," Lorelai said dramatically.

"Oh, well, we can't have that, can we? Not after that lovely massage," Rory said as she shook her head.

"The best part is that you and Dad are finally happy," April told her.

"Finally," Rory muttered under her breath.

"Hey!" Lorelai said indignantly.

"I know," April giggled.

"Hey, kid, he may be your dad and all, but I have been waiting for this day a lot longer than you have," Rory said as she leaned over and shot April an arch look.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever," Lorelai said dismissively, wanting to get to the part she didn't already know.

"Whatever, she says," Rory said with a snort.

April acted like she was holding a phone and said, "Hey Dad? Yeah, well, you know Lorelai? Yeah, your fiancée? Yeah, well, I hate to tell you this, but she's just not that into you, you know?"

"Stop," Lorelai pled. "Tell me the best part of having a sister," she demanded.

Rory shrugged and said to April, "Take it little sis."

"Well, aside from the shopping and the girl stuff, which, let's face it, Dad sucks at, no matter how hard he tries," April said dryly.

"Did he try to braid your hair?" Lorelai asked in a sympathetic tone.

April snorted and said, "No. Thank God. The best part is," she said, pausing for dramatic effect. "Oops, we can't tell you," she finished.

"Uh!" Lorelai said, turning to Rory, who was busy snickering in her chair.

Rory giggled and said, "See, this is a classic example. Wait until we get a hold of Luke!"

"His head will explode," April said with a knowing nod.

"Stop being so mean to Mommy! She's a nervous wreck about marrying Daddy tomorrow!" Lorelai said pathetically as their nail technicians walked into the room, exchanging glances, which sent the girls into fits of giggles.

"Tag team parental torment!" Rory crowed through her laughter.

"I never realized how good it could be to have a partner!" April giggled.

"That's it? That's the best part of having a sister?" Lorelai demanded.

Rory tried to straighten up as she said, "Aw, come on, Mom. You would kill to have a sister to help you torment Grandma!"

"Oh!" Lorelai gasped as she clamped her hand to her mouth. "Oh! I'm so jealous!" she whined.

"Told ya," Rory said to April.

"Well, you have Dad," April tried to comfort Lorelai.

"Yeah, but he's no good for this," Lorelai said dismissively. "He crumbles, the big baby, kiss up," Lorelai sneered.

"I'm sorry," April said as sincerely as she could through her giggles. "He is a big softy," she said with a nod.

"Don't we know it," Rory said with a grin.

"Do you know what colors you want?" one of the technicians asked, anxious to get to work.

Lorelai nodded and said, "I'm the bride, so I want pale, pale pink fingers, and really trashy red toes."

"Mom, you're wearing sandals tomorrow. You cannot have trashy toes," Rory said firmly.

"But Luke really likes the red toes," Lorelai protested.

April held up her hands and said, "Did not need to know that!"

"Welcome to my world, kid," Rory grumbled.

"And the parental torment goes both ways. Remember that, ladies," Lorelai said as she hopped out of her chair and sauntered over to the display of polishes. She turned back and said, "Hop to! Pick your colors!"

XXXX

_Luke got home from the diner that Thursday night in May to find dinner ready and waiting on the table for him. He eyed it suspiciously as Lorelai handed him a beer and said, "Sookie made it for us."_

"_Ah, good," he said as he took the beer, kissed her lightly and swung his leg over a chair. He set the beer on the table and said, "I thought that you wanted to go out?"_

"_I changed my mind. We should probably have this conversation in private," she said as she spread her napkin over her lap and took a drink of her beer. She picked up her fork and started to load it with rice as she blurted, "I didn't go there to sleep with him."_

_Luke blinked and sat back releasing a woosh of breath as he muttered, "Wow, straight for the big guns."_

_Lorelai paused and said, "Sorry, but I don't want us to dance around it all night."_

"_Okay, yeah, well, uh, okay," he said as he folded his hands over his plate nervously and stared down at it. "If we talk about this now, I won't be able to eat," he said gruffly._

"_Oh, sorry," she said as she set her fork down and reached for his hand. "I didn't think. I just wanted to, I don't know, point to the elephant in the room and say, 'There he is,' you know?" she asked quietly._

"_You're right, you're right," he said with a nod. He looked up at her and said, "There he is."_

_So she talked, telling him about that night, what she was thinking, how she was feeling, why she had done what she did. He told her about his struggle to come to grips with fatherhood, his worries about Anna and the power she wielded, and finally, his own worries over whether he could do it. He wrung his hands and said, "Look at who my role model was," as he gestured to her. "I didn't want you to know what I mess I was. I didn't want you to see me fumbling my way along. I didn't want you to see that and decide that having kids with me wasn't such a great idea," he said as he glanced away, still afraid to meet her gaze. _

"_I failed so miserably with that stupid party. The wrong gift, the lame party, shutting you out, telling you that I could handle it, and then when I couldn't, begging you to help me. You saved the day, you swooped in and fixed it all, and April was so happy," he told her. He laughed bitterly and said, "And I got all of the credit, you know, from her." He looked up at her and said, "I was okay with that. I didn't want you to be the one to save the day, I wanted to be. I took the credit for April's happiness, and you took the blame for Anna's anger," he said bluntly. He shrugged and said, "And that was fine with me, as long as I got what I wanted." He took a deep breath and said, "I was so focused on April that I couldn't see anyone or anything else. I had years to make up for, years that I wanted back," he said as he pointed to his chest._

_He took a deep breath and said, "It wasn't until I lost you that I finally understood that there was absolutely nothing I could do to get those years back. And it wasn't until I held Doula for the first time that I truly realized what I had missed," he said angrily. "That was when I finally opened my eyes and saw things for the way they really were. Anna had no intention of ever sharing April with me. She only went along with the bare minimum when it was convenient for her or when April insisted," he told her. "It was then that I knew that I had to fight. And then, that day outside of Doose's, when I saw you holding Doula, I," he stopped, shaking his head at the memory. "It was like a punch in the gut, you know? I wanted that so bad with you," he told her._

"_And I only wanted it with you," she told him honestly._

"_That was the day that I realized what I had thrown away," he said quietly. He looked up at her and asked, "Why did you marry him?"_

"_Because I thought I could never have what I really wanted. I just figured that I should take what I could get," she said bluntly. She sighed and said, "You know, Chris really isn't the bad guy in this. Yeah, he saw the opportunity and he took it. Yeah, he knew how to get me when I was down, but Luke, I did this," she said firmly. "I'm not trying to defend him or anything, I just want you to know that this was on me," she said with a nod._

_Luke smiled at her ruefully and said, "I know something about marrying the wrong person for the wrong reasons." Lorelai nodded and chuckled to herself as she began to clear their barely touched plates from the table. "What's so funny?" he asked._

_Lorelai shook her head as she scraped the plates and asked, "Do you remember the day you took the tour of the Dragonfly, you know, when Sookie tried to set me up with the chicken man?" she reminded him._

"_Yeah," he said, remembering more of the way she had wrapped his arm around her waist and leaned into him._

"_Your divorce had just gone through, and I said, 'At least you got married' and you said, 'At least you had a kid,' or something," she said with a giggle._

"_You're thinking we're even now," he said with a laugh._

_Lorelai smiled at him as she sat down at the table with two more beers. "You know me too well," she said with a laugh. She looked at him and asked, "How are we doing so far?"_

"_I think we're doing good," he said with a nod._

"_Enough for tonight?" she asked._

"_Probably," he answered with a wince._

"_One more tough question?" she asked._

"_Okay," he said cautiously._

"_So, um, sex?" she asked._

"_Is good," he answered._

"_We haven't," she said as she gestured between them._

_Luke nodded and said, "Yes, I've noticed that."_

"_Do you want to?" she asked nervously._

_He laughed as he answered, "Oh yeah, I want to."_

_Lorelai blinked at his quick response and said, "Oh, okay."_

"_When we're ready," he said with a nod._

"_Okay," she said as she digested the information. "Is now good for you?" she asked as she thought about it._

_Luke smiled and said, "It would be, but considering what we've been talking about, maybe another night would be better."_

"_Tomorrow?" she asked._

"_I'm fine with tomorrow," he said as he nodded along._

"_About six?" she asked._

_Luke laughed and said, "Why don't we play it by ear?"_

"_I want you," she said softly._

"_That feeling is entirely mutual. I just don't want all of this stuff hanging over us," he said sincerely._

"_You're right. We should talk it out first," Lorelai agreed._

"_Yeah because once we cross that line," Luke started to say with a leer._

"_There will be very little talking," Lorelai finished for him. She flashed him a saucy smile and said, "Unless it's dirty!"_

XXXX

Luke leaned against the counter, staring out of the window at the flurry of activity in the square. He'd been banished. By Michel, no less. As he watched the preparations for his wedding reception take shape, he had to grudgingly admit that the annoying Frenchman was in his element. He strutted around in a suit in ninety degree weather, clutching a clipboard and barking orders that no one could understand. Luke sighed as he went back to wiping down the immaculate countertop in his empty diner. He was lost in thought as he heard the bells above the door jingle, and jerked his head up to see his nephew lounging in the doorway. "You're letting the cool air out," Luke said gruffly.

"Good to see you to, Uncle Luke," Jess said with a laugh.

Luke smiled as he glanced down at the rag in his hand and said, "Thanks for comin'."

"Well, you said you needed a best man, and I could think of no better man," Jess said as he smirked at Luke.

"Me either," Luke answered as he looked up.

"Aw, well, this is going to be no fun if you're gonna be all mushy and sweet," Jess teased as he dropped his bag on a table and slid onto a stool at the counter.

"You look like crap. Couldn't you afford a haircut?" Luke snarled.

"That's better, and yes, I could, but I knew this would make you crazy," Jess said as he shook his hair back from his eyes.

"You see your mom and sister yet?" Luke asked.

"Not yet. I came straight here to drop off my stuff," Jess told him.

Luke nodded and said, "Well, you'd better call. Your Mom will freak that you didn't go there first."

"I'll call in a minute," Jess answered. "Can I score a Coke or something?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah," Luke said as he shook his head to clear it, hurriedly pulled out a glass and filled it with ice.

As Jess watched him pour the Coke, he said, "So, big day."

"Big day," Luke agreed with a nod.

"I see the whole asylum is pitching in," Jess said as he jerked his chin toward the square.

"Try to stop them," Luke growled as he set the glass on front of his nephew. He scratched his chin as he looked out at the square again and said, "Actually, it's good. This is how it should be," he added with a shrug.

"Look at you, Mr. Civic Pride," Jess laughed.

Luke just shook his head and said, "This has just been a long time comin'."

"A long time," Jess agreed. He toyed with his discarded straw wrapper as he asked, "Happy?"

Luke chuckled a little and said, "Very."

"Good," Jess said before he slurped down the Coke in three long swallows. He set the cup down on the counter and said, "I'm goin' up," as he slid from the stool.

"Okay, good," Luke said with a nod. As Jess picked up his bag and headed for the curtain, Luke said, "Don't forget to…"

"I'm calling her," Jess answered as he disappeared up the stairs.

Luke picked up the glass and carried it into the kitchen to dump it and load it into the dishwasher. As he was closing the machine, he heard the bells chime again. He poked his head out to call to the customer that he'd be with them in a minute, and saw Richard Gilmore standing in the center of the room, surveying it carefully. Luke stepped out, wiping his hands on a clean towel as he said, "Oh, uh, hi Richard."

Richard smiled and said, "Hello, Luke."

"Can I, uh, is there something you needed?" Luke asked.

Richard shrugged and said, "I just dropped Emily off at the house, and I was a little bit at loose ends, so I thought I'd come by here."

"Can I get you something to drink?" Luke asked.

"Iced tea would be wonderful," Richard said as he took Jess' stool at the counter. He looked around and said with a chuckle, "I suppose most of your clientele is out there."

Luke nodded as he poured the tea and said, "Yeah, they've been running in and out all day. I was told to come in here and leave them alone," he said as he placed the glass on the counter.

"Yes, Emily similarly dismissed me," Richard said with a nod. He took a sip of his tea and said, "Mmm, that's good."

"I brew it with a little lemon in it, rather than adding it later," Luke said with a nod.

"I'll have to remember to tell Emily that," Richard murmured. He looked up at Luke and said, "I don't suppose I have to ask if you're ready."

Luke smiled and said, "Well, I imagine Emily and Lorelai would chop my head off if I showed up like this, but in the bigger sense, yes I am."

Richard turned the glass on the countertop, unconsciously smearing condensation over Luke's pristine expanse of Formica. Richard cleared his throat slightly and said, "I am very happy for you, and for Lorelai. You've both had some difficult times, and it makes her mother and me happy to see her so, uh, happy," he finished lamely.

"Thank you," Luke said cautiously.

Richard nodded and said, "I realize that Emily and I have not always treated you fairly."

"Richard," Luke began to say, but the older man held up a hand to stop him.

"We both know it's true, so there's no point in sugar coating it," he said with a stern look. "I just wanted to come in here today and tell you that we are happy for you both," he said firmly.

"Thanks," Luke said in a more sincere tone.

Richard nodded as he finished off his tea and placed the glass on the counter. He slid from the stool and stood up to his full height. He looked down at the younger man and said, "Good, well, very good. Oh, and I also wanted to tell you that if you hurt her like that again, as her father, I reserve the right to break every bone in your body." He smiled at Luke and winked as he said, "Or hire someone younger to do it."

Luke nodded and crossed his arms over his chest as he said, "I consider myself warned."

Richard smiled as he said, "I'm not really worried about it. I've just always wanted to say something like that to someone."

"Glad to be of service," Luke said with a smirk.

As Richard walked to the door he called, "How's your golf game coming?"

"I hate golf," Luke answered bluntly.

Richard smirked as he turned back with his hand on the doorknob and said, "Ah, yes, I remember that now. See you in a few hours," he chuckled as he opened the door.

"I like old cars, though," Luke called out to him.

Richard stopped and looked back at his soon to be son-in-law and asked, "Are you any good with them?"

"I know my way around," Luke said as he shrugged.

"Well then, I'll have to show you my baby, then, won't I?" Richard asked.

"Yeah, I'd like to see it," Luke answered with a nod.

Richard smiled and said, "Don't forget to shave, or Emily will scrape it off with her fingernails."

XXXX

"_You tricked me," Lorelai said accusingly into the phone._

"_How did I trick you?" he asked._

"_You said that we'd be having sex tomorrow, which is today, and it's six, but there's no sex because it's Friday and I'm on my way to my parent's house," she whined._

"_So you think I was trying to get out of it?" he asked with a laugh._

"_I don't know. Maybe you're trying to hold out until I buy the cow," she said petulantly._

"_Well, I did just finish reading The Rules," Luke teased._

"_I knew it! You don't want me," she said pathetically._

_Luke smiled and turned his back to the diner as he said, "You know that's not true."_

"_No! I don't know that," she said stubbornly._

"_I never agreed to six o'clock," he reminded her._

"_No, you wanted to play it by ear," she said snidely. "Ooh, ears," she breathed into the phone._

"_Stop it," he growled in response._

"_I want to nibble on your ears," she said breathlessly._

"_I'm hanging up now," he warned._

"_All day long I was thinking about you," she told him. "All day. That is, until I got home and heard my mother's voice on the machine reminding me about dinner," she sneered._

"_And that's my fault?" he asked._

"_If you had let me have my way with you last night, I wouldn't be in this pathetic state," she complained. "But no! Mr. Let's Show Some Restraint, Mr. Let's Clear the Air," she said in a mocking tone._

"_You're the one that said that we needed to talk last night, and you're the one who came out blasting with both barrels," he hissed into the phone. "So, yeah, I wasn't in the most romantic mood," he said dryly. He sighed and said, "Now, I have to go. I'm in the middle of dinner here," he told her with a hint of apology in his voice. "Are sure you want to tell them tonight?" he asked anxiously._

"_Yeah, I doubt they'll be surprised, Luke," she told him._

"_You think?" he asked._

"_Mom knows," Lorelai said with a shrug._

"_Knows what?" he asked blankly._

"_How I feel about you. What I want," she said simply._

"_Your mother knows?" Luke asked incredulously._

_Lorelai nodded and said, "Yeah, well, we've actually gotten a little better lately."_

"_Yeah? How long do you think that will last?" he asked._

"_Until about the time that I tell them that we're back together," she answered nonchalantly. When he didn't say anything she said firmly, "It makes no difference one way or another, Luke."_

"_I'll be at the house by the time you get home," he told her._

"_Good, bring pie, I may need it," Lorelai said with a smile. "Bye, Doll," she said into the phone._

"_Lorelai, I lo…" he started, but caught himself up short as Caesar called that orders were up._

_She smiled as she realized that he had almost declared his love in the middle of the dinner rush at the diner. "Yeah, I love you too," she said softly as they hung up._

_Luke sat on the couch, freshly showered and wearing nothing but an old faded pair of jeans and a t-shirt as he watched the tail end of a ballgame on the stupid plasma TV. He snorted to himself, knowing that he was probably one of the few guys alive who wasn't ecstatic to have a high definition plasma TV hanging in the living room. He stared at the thing, ignoring the ballgame and figuring out how much repair he was going to have to do to the drywall after he took it down. He knew it was childish; he knew that the TV really wasn't going to make that much of a difference in his life, but he didn't care. He wanted it gone, Lorelai said okay, and this weekend he was taking it down and putting it in storage for Rory to take when she finally got her first apartment. He heard Lorelai's Jeep pull into the drive and quickly turned the ballgame off. He got up to meet her at the door, dreading her report on how the evening had gone._

"_Hey," he said nervously shoving his hands into his pockets as she stepped through the door._

"_Hi!" she said brightly. "Now this is a wonderful thing to come home to," she purred as she ran her hand over the soft cotton of his shirt and glanced down at his bare feet._

"_How'd it go?" he asked quickly._

"_It went fine," she answered as she dropped her purse and keys on the table._

"_Fine?" he asked as he followed her into the living room._

_Lorelai turned to look at him and said firmly, "Luke, it was perfectly fine. I told them, and they murmured that they were happy if I was happy, and then we spent two hours talking about Rory's e-mails, Rory's blog, which was funny, hearing my Dad talk about blogs, and Rory's phone calls." _

"_They didn't have anything to say?" he asked nervously._

"_Nothing bad," Lorelai told him honestly._

"_Okay," he said as he blew out a relieved breath. "I can go with you next week," he offered._

"_You're volunteering for Friday night dinner?" she asked in surprise._

"_We're in this together, right? They need to see us together," he said with a nod. He snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. "Hi," he said in a throaty voice, coupled with a devastatingly naughty smile._

"_Hello to you," she said with a grin._

"_I've been waiting for you," he said softly as he bent to nip at her neck._

"_Oh, thank you, God," she whispered to the ceiling._

_Luke smiled as he continued to press wet, hot kisses to her neck and jaw. "I've been thinking," he said between kisses._

"_Dirty things?" she asked hopefully._

"_Well, kind of," he said with a shrug. He nipped at her ear and said softly, "I think we should wait until we're married."_

"_What?" she demanded as he eyes flew open. "Luke, no!" she said shaking her head adamantly._

_Luke laughed and said, "Just kidding," as he pressed her up against the wall and kissed her heatedly. He pulled back and gave her a huge smile as he said, "Sometimes, you're so easy."_

"_Take me upstairs and I'll show you how easy I can be," she said as she grabbed a fistful of his shirt and yanked on it._

_Luke continued to smile down at her as he growled, "And I'll show you how hard I can be."_

"_Yay!" she crowed as she threw her head back and laughed. "There's my dirty boy!"_

_Luke laced his fingers through hers and turned toward the stairs, pulling her docilely along behind him. They walked into their bedroom, and Luke turned to close the door, and when he faced her again, she launched herself at him, making him stumble back against the door as she rained kisses over his face. Her hands were frantic as she mumbled, "I have to touch you."_

_Luke caught her wild hands in his and murmured, "You will," as he raised them to his lips with a searing look in his deep blue eyes._

"_Oh God, don't look at me like that," she said breathlessly._

"_I was just going to apologize to you now," he said gruffly. "I'm afraid that this may not go as, uh, romantically as I'd like," he said as he brushed his lips over her knuckles. "I promise, I'll make up for it later," he said as he lifted his eyes to hers again._

"_Okay," she said whispered, lost in his eyes._

"_In case I get a little too caught up to tell you later, I love you, Lorelai Gilmore," he said in a husky voice._

_Lorelai smiled beatifically and pressed their hands to her chest. "You almost said it in front of the whole diner earlier," she teased._

_Luke chuckled as he nodded and said, "Yes, I almost did."_

"_Caught yourself," she said with a laugh. _

_Luke lifted her hands to kiss them again as he looked at her seriously and said, "I'll say it wherever you want me to say it."_

_Lorelai smiled at him tenderly and said, "Here is good. But if you slip up out there, I won't mind."_

"_Good to know," he said as he lowered her hands slowly, placing one on his chest over his heart, and pressing the other to the fly of his jeans. He watched as her eyes widened slightly in shock, and then deepened with desire. "Feel my heart?" he asked in a raspy voice._

"_Yes," she said as her other hand began to massage him through the soft denim of his jeans._

"_That's not my heart," he said with a chuckle._

"_Sorry, distracted," she said as she stilled her hand. "Heart, heart. That was up here, right?" she asked as she patted his chest._

"_I want you so much," he said in the barest whisper. "This is what you do to me," he told her. He laughed a little and said, "Hell, most of the time, you don't even have to do or say anything, and I'm like this." He kissed her softly and said, "You see, I'm having a kind of a problem right now."_

"_Doesn't seem that way to me," she said with a short laugh._

"_My heart," he said as he tapped the hand covering his chest. "My heart wants to go slow, take my time, make it last forever," he said in a throaty voice. "But other parts, other parts are kind of overruling my heart right now," he said gruffly. "I want you so badly it hurts," he said in a raspy voice, his breath hitching as she began to massage the bulge in his jeans again. "I want to throw you down on that bed, climb on top of you and bury myself so deep inside of you that I'll never get out," he growled. "I remember it all, Lorelai. Every sound you make, how your eyes look when you're excited, how they look when you come," he said in a deep voice. "I remember what it feels like to be inside of you, body and soul," he told her, his eyes burning into hers._

_Lorelai's was breathing shallowly, each puff of breath from her parted lips, tickling his as she stood gazing at him mesmerized. Finally, she licked her lips and whispered, "You talk so much now. Shut up."_

"_I can't. We can't. We can't ever stop talking. I have to tell you everything I'm thinking, everything I'm feeling," he said as he shook his head helplessly. "I need you to tell me, do I follow my heart or do I give in to the need?" he asked her raggedly._

_Lorelai leaned forward and kissed him sweetly before she turned and presented her back to him, lifting her hair in her hands to give him access to the zipper at the back of her dress. He pulled it down slowly, parting the material reverently and sliding it from her shoulders as he stared hungrily at the ivory column of her back. When the dress slid to the floor, Lorelai stepped out of it and kicked it aside, along with her sandals. She turned back to him and said, "Keep going," as she gestured to the scraps of lace she called a bra and panties. Luke carefully reached around her back, unhooked the bra and removed it quickly, letting it dangle from his fingers for a moment as he drank in the sight of her, before it fell to the floor. "Keep going," she encouraged him as he slid his hands down her sides, brushing his thumbs over the curve of her breasts, down into the hollow of her waist, and over hips where he hooked his thumbs into her panties and began to drag them slowly down her long legs. When she stepped out of them, he swayed toward her gasping her hips in his hands, and digging his fingers into her soft skin. "Hey, up here," she said softly._

_Luke clenched his eyes shut for a moment, resisting the urge to stay on his knees and press his mouth to her soft, damp curls. He looked up at her, the raw ache evident in his stare. He stood up slowly, his eyes drinking in every freckle, every curve, and every inch of her delectable skin. When he finally met hers again, she reached for the hem of his shirt and nodded for him to lift his arms. She stripped it off quickly, flinging it across the room as she skimmed her hands down over his chest, smiling as his stomach muscles quivered and jumped beneath her soft touch. She unbuttoned his jeans, unable to resist tracing the trail of hair that disappeared tauntingly beneath the worn denim. Luke drew in a sharp breath as she reached for the zipper and softly said, "Careful," as she began to lower it. Lorelai glanced down and saw that he had foregone his boxers after his shower, and looked back up at him in shock. He flashed a self conscious smile and said, "Seemed like a good idea at the time. These jeans are a little tighter now than they were before."_

_Lorelai blinked and said, "I guess so," as she finished lowering the zipper. "Oh my God," she breathed as she wrapped her fingers around his rock hard cock and began to stroke him._

"_Oh my God," Luke said as he quickly yanked her hand away. "Sorry," he said he kissed the palm of her hand. "Tell me a good Taylor story and I'll be better in a minute," he said breathlessly._

"_The Red Sox won today," she told him._

_Luke laughed and asked, "How did you know that?"_

"_I have a radio," she said in an injured tone. "I have a boyfriend who likes the Red Sox, so I notice when they say that they've won," she said with a shrug._

_Luke nodded and said, "Going with the tried and true, 'Distract him with baseball,' ploy."_

_Lorelai looked him straight in the eye and said simply, "I want the need, Luke. I know where your heart is." _

"_Okay, that was a whole other kind of distraction," he said gruffly._

_Lorelai shook her head and began to push his jeans down over his hips. When she got them down to his knees, she sank to hers and held them as he stepped out of them. When she looked up at him with those amazing blue eyes, he was lost. He reached down and pulled her up, pressing her to him hard as he kissed her passionately, his tongue sliding sensually against hers as he walked her back toward the bed. He pushed her gently back onto the bed and covered her quickly. He felt her breasts brush against the hair on his chest, and pressed closer, cupping them gently and molding her soft body to his with a deep groan. The tip of his cock brushed against her curls teasingly as he closed his eyes and struggled against his urges. Lorelai watched him carefully, knowing every thought that was flitting through his mind. She shook her head as she shifted beneath him, wrapping on leg up over his thighs and lifting her hips up to meet him. Luke opened his eyes as he felt her moisture against his super sensitive skin. _

_She smiled and said, "Babe, I'm not sure there are enough grand slams in the world to stop this," as she grasped his perfect ass and pulled him to her entrance._

"_I'm sorry," he said as he pressed into her, all control lost._

"_I'm not. I need you like you need me. I want you like you want me," she said breathlessly as she arched her back encouraging him to fill her completely. She met his dark blue eyes as he hovered above her. Reaching for his hand, she laced her fingers through his and brought them up to rest beside her head. "I love you like you love me," she said gently. "Oh, God, I need you," she whispered as she squirmed beneath him._

_In her words, he found the calm he needed. In her desire, he found the comfort he sought. In their entwined hands, he found the control he thought had snapped. He began to move inside of her slowly, letting every little sigh and whimper soothe him. He looked into her eyes and saw utter devotion, knowing it was reflected in his. "Lorelai," he murmured simply for the pleasure of her name on his lips. "Oh, Lorelai," he sighed as he began to move giving in to their mutual need._

"_Luke," she whispered urgently as she felt her climax coiling within her and the rush of hot tears filling her eyes. He was here. He was inside of her, deep inside of her where no one else could ever reach them. She closed her eyes tightly, afraid he wouldn't understand, but the tears just seeped from the corners. _

"_Look at me," he said softly. When she opened her eyes he said simply, "I'm here."_

_Lorelai's entire body shuddered as he took her up, his eyes locked on hers. "Luke, Luke, Luke," she chanted as she clutched at his back, squeezing him tight within her walls, keeping him just where she wanted him. _

_When she broke, she took him with her. He emptied himself into her, unable to make even a sound with the intensity of his release until finally he collapsed on top of her, crushing her with his weight, and murmuring her name over and over as he pressed his lips to her cheek, her neck her hair, any bit of her that he could reach. He untangled his hand from hers, and blindly wiped at the tears that wet the hair at her temple. He shifted, lifting up so that she could catch her breath, and looking down at her, he lost his. "So beautiful," he panted. "I promise I'll do better next time," he told her earnestly._

"_I think we were pretty perfect that time," she said with a tender smile._

"_I hardly touched you," he said shaking his head._

"_You touched every part of me," she answered as she_ _pulled him down to kiss him._

XXXX

Lorelai stared at her reflection in the full length mirror. Emily flitted around the church dressing room, pressing bouquets into Sookie, Rory and April's hands. Lorelai turned from her own reflection to look at them in the dresses she had sewn. Sookie, heavily pregnant, wearing an empire waist with a floaty skirt in a warm coral color that brightened her sparkling eyes. Rory, graceful and slim, looking like a fairy tale princess in her silver blue dress with the fitted bodice and a softly flaring skirt. April, in a plum sheath, that made her feel grown up and chic, but made her squeal like the girl she was when she saw the color. Lorelai looked at her mother, elegantly chic for a summer wedding in a teeny tiny hamlet. The champagne color of Emily's suit set off her hair in a beautifully understated way. When Emily carried Lorelai's simple bouquet of cream and white roses over to her, Lorelai smiled and said, "You look beautiful, Mom," effectively stopping Emily's flitting.

"Thank you, Lorelai," she said with a small pleased smile. "The dresses are lovely," Emily said as she gestured to the bridesmaids.

Lorelai grinned at them and said, "Yeah, the girls in them aren't too bad either."

Sookie pressed her lip together and shook her head as she said, "You made totally the right decision with the dress."

Lorelai looked down at the simple white strapless gown with the tiny pearls sewn over the bodice. She smiled and said, "Luke had said he wanted me in a white dress."

Emily smiled at her daughter and said, "And we all know that what Luke wants, Luke usually gets."

Lorelai laughed and said, "In this case, yes."

"I've called dibs on the pink one," April said bluntly.

Rory snorted in a very unladylike fashion and said, "You wish."

"Ask Lorelai," April said indignantly.

"Mom!" Rory called as she turned to look at her mother.

Lorelai smiled and said, "Play nice, girls," making them giggle. Lorelai rolled her eyes and said, "I realize that you don't have much time together, but could you try not to cram years' worth of sibling rivalry into this one weekend?"

Rory shrugged as she looked over at April and winked. "Sure, we can save some for next time," she said generously.

"Thanks very much," Lorelai said wrinkling her nose at them.

Richard poked his head in the door and asked, "Is the bride almost ready?" He took in the sight of her and sighed happily as he said only, "Oh, Lorelai."

"Isn't she stunning?" Emily asked as she fussed with the skirt of Lorelai's gown.

"Mom," Lorelai whined, trying to shoo Emily away from her dress. When Emily straightened up, Lorelai caught her blinking back tears. She caught Emily's hand and gave it a quick squeeze as she said, "You should let them seat you so we can get this show on the road."

Emily nodded quickly and said, "Well, yes, I suppose you're ready."

Lorelai smiled and said, "I was ready at seven this morning."

"Yes, I imagine you were," Emily said softly. "You look lovely," she said with a tremulous smile.

"Thank you, Mom," Lorelai replied with a warm smile in return.

"I'll see you after," Emily said with a brisk nod and then swept from the room.

Richard rubbed his hands together and said happily, "Left alone with a bevy of beautiful women. You all look lovely."

XXXX

"_Hey," he said as soon as her eyes opened one morning in early June._

_Lorelai stretched like a cat and said, "Good morning," in a husky voice as she rubbed up against him._

"_Don't start that. You know I have to go to work and so do you," he said pointedly._

"_Then don't look so yummy in the morning," she countered._

"_You busy tonight?" he asked._

_Lorelai smiled and asked, "Why? You askin' me out?"_

"_I might be," he said with a smirk as he ran his hand over her naked bottom._

"_Than I might be up for a date," she said coyly. "What did you have in mind?" she asked with a wicked smile._

_Luke rolled his eyes and said, "One track mind."_

"_You have your hand on my butt," she pointed out._

_Luke blinked and removed his hand quickly as he said, "Oh, so I do."_

"_Put it back," she said as she caught his wrist and tugged on it._

"_Yes or no," he said stubbornly._

"_You didn't answer my question," she said primly._

"_Dinner," he said with an impatient sigh._

"_Ooh, I love dinner," she cooed as she pressed her lips to his._

_Luke chuckled as he asked, "So that's a yes?"_

_Lorelai nodded happily and asked, "Is it a dressy uppy dinner?"_

_Luke thought for a moment and then said, "A little, but not a lot."_

"_What does that mean?" she asked with a laugh._

"_That means you can do better than jeans, but not as much as Friday night dinner," he told her._

"_Got it," she said with a nod._

"_I need to get up," he said reluctantly._

"_Do you also need help washing your back?" she asked as he rolled off of the bed._

"_Yes," he said succinctly as he walked to the bathroom completely naked. Lorelai scrambled from the bed and followed him, eager to be of assistance._

_At six thirty that night, Luke sat on the edge of the bed in his black pants and an open necked blue dress shirt, tying his shoes. "How much longer?" he called to her._

"_Almost ready," she answered in a sing song voice._

"_You said that before I even got in the shower," he complained._

_Lorelai turned out the light and walked into the room in the little black dress he liked so much. She smiled at him and said, "Yeah, but this time I meant it."_

_Luke looked up at her and stopped as he gaped at her. He lowered his foot and said, "Wow, you haven't used that weapon in a while."_

"_Well, you were being cagy, so I thought I'd need to use all of my powers of persuasion," she said as she sauntered toward him in the shoes with the sexy ankle straps._

"_Yes, I'll be your backup dancer," he said in a hushed voice._

_Lorelai smiled and held out her hand to pull him up as she said, "That was just what I was after." _

_She pestered him all of the way down the stairs, out the door, into the truck and out of town to tell her where he was taking her. Luke just smiled and said over and over again, "You'll know in a minute."_

_Lorelai stared out the window petulantly as she said, "See, now, that makes me think it's not the dress. You just want to be my backup dancer," she accused._

"_Yes, that has been my lifelong dream," he said in a deadpan voice as he turned onto another county highway, purposefully taking her the back way, but soon enough, the building was visible in the distance and Lorelai gasped._

"_Sniffy's?" she asked. "You're taking me to Sniffy's?"_

_Luke shrugged and said, "I was talking to Maisy the other day, and she was getting onto me about not bringing you here since we got back together, so I thought it would be a nice date."_

"_I love Sniffy's," she said with a happy sigh. She stiffened slightly as he pulled into the lot and asked worriedly, "How much do they know?"_

"_Not much," Luke answered as he parked the truck._

_Lorelai turned to him and asked, "How much is not much? I would hate it if they hated me," she said as she bit her lip._

"_They just know that I had a hard time dealing with the April thing, and that it all got to be too much for both of us," he told her._

"_So they don't hate me, right?" she asked him._

"_Oh no, they despise you, that's why Maisy wanted me to bring you by," he said sarcastically as he opened his door and got out to go around to her side. He opened her door and said simply, "They know we're together, and that we love each other. That's enough for them," he assured her._

_Lorelai smiled as she took his hand and let him help her from the truck. As he ushered her inside with his hand firmly in the small of her back, she whispered, "I can't wait to read the back of the menu again."_

_Luke rolled his eyes and said, "You really don't need to do that every time we come here."_

"_Oh, yes I do, it's our thing," she insisted as the hostess led them to their usual booth and removed the 'reserved' sign._

_Maisy approached with the champagne bucket in hand and said, "I saw you pull up. Lorelai, it's so nice to see you again. I'm glad this big lunk finally got his head out of his arse," she said jerking a thumb at Luke._

"_Hi Maisy," Lorelai said as she got up to hug the older woman. "Unfortunately, it was a mutual case of arsiness," she said with a grimace._

"_Yeah, but it's more fun for me to blame him," Maisy said with a wink. She tuned and yelled, "Buddy! They're here!" She grasped Lorelai's wrist and said, "You might as well stay up, he'll be out in a second." _

_Luke sat at the table looking up at them and said, "Funny, I bring you here and no one wants to hug me anymore."_

"_Big baby," Maisy said as she swatted his arm with the menus._

"_You don't need to bother leaving those here, you won't serve us whatever we order," he grumbled._

"_Oh, no," Lorelai said as she quickly snatched the menus from Maisy's hand. She smiled and said, "I haven't been here for a while. Something may have changed," she said as she glared at Luke._

"_Nothing's changed," he said gruffly._

"_Lorelai!" Buddy cried as he bustled from the kitchen. "You look beautiful," he said as he hugged her._

"_Thanks, Buddy, it's so good to be back," she said as he released her and motioned for her to sit down._

"_I'm just glad that dummy here wised up to a good thing," Buddy said as he slapped Luke's back a little too hard._

"_Well you know, even Charlie McCarthy had an Edgar Bergen jerking him around," she tried to joke._

_Buddy snorted and said, "In his case it's more like Mortimer Snerd."_

"_Hey!" Luke said, finally taking offense._

"_Aw, cool your jets," Maisy said shaking her head. "Everyone knows it takes two to tango, Luke, we're just teasing," she said as she patted his hand. She nodded to Buddy and said, "We'll be back with your dinner in a little bit."_

_Luke rolled his eyes and said, "See? No need for menus."_

"_Ah, but I need my story," she said with a grin._

"_I'm begging you," he said gruffly._

"_Sniffy's Tavern: A Story of Love," she read aloud._

"_Will you marry me?" he asked quickly._

_Lorelai shook her head and said, "Trying to shut me up, it's not going to work this time, Buck-o!" She cleared her throat and started to read, "Maisy Fortner and Bertram 'Buddy' Linds met at a high-school basketball game…" She trailed off as she glanced over and saw the sparkling ring Luke held up between his thumb and forefinger._

_When she stared at him mutely, he smiled and said, "Apparently it does still work." When she still didn't say anything, he swallowed nervously and asked, "Uh, do I need to ask again, or should I shut up?"_

"_Ask again," she whispered._

"_Lorelai, will you marry me?" he asked gently._

"_Yes, oh yes," she said in a breathy voice. He took her hand and slipped the ring onto her finger. Lorelai stared down at it blankly and said, "This is a new ring."_

_Luke nodded and said, "Yeah. I thought this was one part we should start fresh on."_

"_It's beautiful," she said in a choked voice. She leaned over and pressed her lips to his firmly as she stroked his cheek_

"_Do you really like it? If not, we can change it, or the other one is still in your jewelry box," he said with a shrug._

_Lorelai looked down at the simple solitaire set in a platinum band and said, "It's perfect." She held it closer to the candle and watched the light bounce off of the large princess cut diamond. _

_Luke cleared his throat and said, "I talked to Rory this week."_

"_You did?" she asked, surprised._

_Luke nodded and said, "She said she could get three or four days off in early August while April is going to be here._

"_She can?" Lorelai asked._

"_Will you marry me then? I mean, I know it's quick, but I think we can pull it off," he said, picking up momentum. "I mean, we can get married in the church or the inn or the square, for all I care. The girls will be here. Sookie is great with cakes, or we can order one from Weston's," he babbled._

_Lorelai cut him off with another kiss and said, "Yes, I will marry you on the first Saturday in August. Even if we have to do it in the diner," she said with a nod. "Man, at least Mom could say she was right. Ketchup dispenser for a bouquet," she murmured._

"_Huh?" he asked._

"_As opposed to the Romanov's," she said with a shrug._

"_I'm afraid you've lost me," he said shaking his head._

_Lorelai stopped and looked at him seriously and said, "Nope, never again."_

_Maisy smiled as she watched Luke kiss his girl sweetly and pushed open the kitchen door. "Go ahead and add the garlic. It looks like he's finally gonna seal the deal," she called to Buddy._

XXXX

Luke fidgeted nervously with the knot of his tie as he followed Reverend Skinner out of the little room at the front of the church. He glanced back at Jess, T.J. and Jackson and consoled himself with the thought that he hadn't had to stoop to Kirk to get three groomsmen. He looked to the aisle and saw Emily being escorted by Kirk to the front pew, and smirked as he thought, better her than me. He watched as Sookie appeared in the doorway, clutching her bouquet and moving as gracefully as a woman who was a week from giving birth could possibly move. She took her spot on the opposite side and sent him a saucy wink before turning her attention to the back of the church. Luke followed her gaze and saw his daughter moving toward him, looking terrifyingly grown up in the simple purple dress Lorelai had made for her. He swallowed thickly, knowing from her smile that she was as happy to be a part of this moment as he was to have her there. When she reached the altar she grinned like the teenager she still was and said, "Hi, Dad."

"Hi, Sweetie," he croaked in a hoarse voice as she took her place next to Sookie.

Luke pressed his lips together as he tore his eyes from April to watch Rory gliding down the aisle with a happy smile. She winked at Lane and Zach as she passed, her tight grip on her bouquet was they only thing betraying her innate nervousness in being watched by so many of her friends and family. As she approached him, her smile brightened even more as she whispered her usual, "Hey, Luke."

"Hi, Rory," he said with an admiring smile for the little girl who grew into his beautiful young woman.

He shifted nervously as the music changed and the guests rose to look to the back of the church. Luke stepped into the aisle slightly and held his breath as he waited for the doors to open again. When they did, Miss Patty stepped out of the way, and all he could see was Lorelai poised at the threshold, her hand resting lightly on Richard's arm as she began to move toward him. He felt his knees buckle slightly as Jess poked him and hissed, "Breathe."

Luke released the air he had forgotten he was holding and stared transfixed as Lorelai beamed at him, her eyes locked clearly on her prize. As they neared the front of the church, she sent him an awkward wink, and then immediately stumbled over the hem of her gown slightly. She gripped Richard's arm tightly as she giggled and made an embarrassed face at Rory. Luke's smile lit his face as Richard handed her over to him. Luke took her hand firmly in his, wrapping his fingers around hers tightly as he whispered, "That's my girl."

Lorelai looked up into his eyes as he led her toward Reverend Skinner and whispered, "My angel."

Luke smiled as he shook his head and said softly, "I'm just a junkie."

_The End of the Beginning of their Middle_


End file.
